Many of you might remember the fire incident in the College Park neighbourhood in January, when a fire broke out in a private residence, leaving a 17-year-old teen girl trapped in the basement until the firefighters rescued her. Upon investigation, Oakville Fire Department officials later discovered that the head of the family renting the home had disabled the smoke alarm.
Based on many such fire incidents in the recent past at rental properties, the fire department has come up with a plan to raise awareness of tenants and landlords on the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms later this spring.
The program will highlight the responsibilities of the owners and residents to ensure that the alarms are maintained and checked regularly in line with the Ontario Fire Code. Participants will also be given other fire safety tips, such as kitchen safety, two ways to exit the building, the importance of not leaving burning candles unattended, and information about penalties outlined in Section 28 (3) and 28 (4) of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.
“The town is in the process of finalizing the details for the public seminars. Depending on the requirements of each audience, we could host virtual and/or in-person sessions,” Sudha Hemmad, the town’s Senior Communications Advisor, shared in an email to Oakville News.
The fire department, which has a strong relationship with several community groups and real estate organizations, is exploring working with them to deliver public education sessions.
The fire prevention team will conduct all sessions while it plans to use its partners’ support with logistics and registration.
“The Oakville Fire Department continues to prioritize outreach for fire prevention programming throughout Oakville to engage, inform, and educate all residents on legislative requirements and best practices for their fire safety. Working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detection save lives,” Fire Chief Paul Boissonneault shared with Oakville News.
More details on the sessions will soon be available on the town’s social media channels, e-newsletters and advertising platforms. Residents can also keep an eye on the other outreach programs for fire prevention conducted throughout the year for various community segments, including renters, students, newcomers and seniors.