Residents in the Petrolia area will now benefit from a public education campaign to ensure households are equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms.
The Petrolia & North Enniskillen Fire Department recently received 114 combination alarms through Safe Community Project Zero.
Enbridge Gas has been working alongside the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) to provide more than 14,500 alarms to 75 communities across Ontario.
"The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver these alarms to areas where they are needed most,” said Acting Ontario Fire Marshal and Acting Chair of the FMPFSC John McBeth. “It’s a program that helps fire departments educate their communities about the requirements to have working smoke alarms installed in all Ontario homes and for all Ontario homes to have a carbon monoxide alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”
Enbridge Gas Senior Advisor Spencer Pray also said while the alarms are a critical line of defense, the best way to reduce potential exposure to carbon monoxide is to maintain fuel-burning equipment properly.
This year, Enbridge Gas invested $450,000 into the safety campaign.
“Smoke and CO alarms are the first line of defense in fire escape planning," said Fire Chief Rick Cousins. "Properly installed and maintained, they play a vital role in reducing fire related deaths, injuries and property damage.”
The Petrolia North Enniskillen Fire Department has 30 dedicated volunteer firefighters and 12 active support operations response team members.
Other local municipalities also recently benefited from the program. In early November, the Plympton-Wyoming Fire Department received 126 alarms, and Sarnia Fire Rescue Services received 282 alarms in October.