Creating awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide

Last year there were a record number of fire deaths in Ontario and many were due to a lack of working smoke or carbon monoxide alarms.

The Markstay-Warren Fire Department and Enbridge Gas are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide deaths down the zero.

Fire Chief Mark Whynott said raising public awareness about the fact that working smoke/carbon monoxide alarms are law and save lives is critical.

Whynott points to the 133 fire deaths in Ontario last year.

"The biggest part of that number the 133 were because of non-existing or non-working smoke and co alarms in someone's home,” he said.

“And they would have had a chance to get out and still be here today had those units had a smoke alarm in them."

Enbridge recently gave the Markstay-Warren 120 combination smoke/CO alarms to be distributed in the community as part of its Safe Community Project Zero campaign.

"Lots of people have them in their house but they might be 20 years old and no longer in great working condition," said Jessica Gibson from Enbridge.

The Markstay Warren Fire Department is a large volunteer force that covers a geographic area of almost 500 square kilometres. Mayor Ned Whynott said a lot of people don’t know the importance of CO alarms.

"That is the silent killer,” Whynott said.

“So it's important for the fire department to get out and there are educate our residents on the importance of carbon monoxide units."

In 2022, Enbridge distributed combination smoke/CO detectors to 11 communities in its northeast region, from Sault Ste. Marie to Parry Sound to north to Cobalt.