As mandated under the Fire Prevention and Protection Act, every municipality in Ontario must have a Public Education Program in place along with certain components of fire prevention.
Teachers in the area that are interested in visiting the Fire Department for fire safety for their class or wish to set up a visit to the fire station can contact the Fire Chief at: (705) 636-7402.
Please be advised that the Town of Kearney now requires that you obtain a permit for the discharge of Fireworks and that the setting off of Sky Lanterns is prohibited.
Yes, it's the law in Ontario for every home to have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas.
Smoke alarms shall be installed between each sleeping area and the remainder of the dwelling unit. If hallways serve sleeping areas, the smoke alarms shall be installed in the hallways.
Smoke alarms are required to be connected with permanent electrical connections, however, battery powered units are acceptable and will satisfy the requirements.
It is against the law for anyone to remove the batteries or tamper with a smoke alarm in any way. Tenants in rental accommodations can be held accountable for tampering.
When smoke alarms are being replaced, the level of detection shall not be reduced.
Failure to comply with Ontario Fire Code smoke alarm requirements could result in a ticket for $235 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.
Purchase a smoke alarm that has been either CSA-approved (hard wired) or U.L.C – approved (battery operated). Labels are clearly marked on the package. If possible, a combination of both types of smoke alarms in your home is recommended.
Try cleaning the unit with your vacuum cleaner (use the brush attachment and be gentle). False alarms are often set off by duct particles.
Try another location. It might simply be that it is too close to the bathroom, the kitchen or a heat register, if a change of location doesn’t work, the unit may be defective and needs to be replaced. Refer to the installation instructions.
Most importantly. Do not take the battery out! Too often, batteries that are removed are not replaced, making the alarm totally ineffective and putting your family’s life at risk.
Simple steps that can be taken to help reduce or eliminate some nuisance alarms caused by cooking activities include:
Keeping ovens and stove-top burners clean.
Cleaning accumulations of crumbs from the bottom of toasters and turning down the timer setting.
Using the fan on the range hood when cooking to help remove steam and combustion particles form the air.
Avoid installing smoke alarms in/near kitchen and bathrooms.
Install a smoke alarm with a hush feature.
Move the alarm further away from the source of the nuisance alarm.
Relocate the smoke alarm from the ceiling to a spot high on an adjacent wall.
Replace ionization type alarms with photoelectric type alarms.
Carbon monoxide (also called CO) is a poisonous gas that you cannot see, smell or taste. It is often referred to as the “silent killer”. The incomplete burning of fuels such as natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, coal, charcoal or wood produces CO.
Improper installed or poorly maintained appliances that run on these fuels may create unsafe levels of CO. In enclosed spaces such as your home, cottage or recreational vehicle, even a small amount of CO is dangerous.
Fuel-burning appliances, venting systems and chimneys that have not been serviced and maintained regularly by a qualified service technician or heating contractor.
A chimney blocked by a bird or squirrel nest, snow and ice or other debris.
Improper venting of a furnace and cracked furnace heat exchangers.
Exhaust fumes seeping into your home from a car running in an attached garage.
Using fuel-burning appliances designed for outdoor use (barbecues, lanterns, chainsaws, lawnmowers, snow blowers) in a closed area (tent, recreational vehicle, cottage, workshop garage).
Combustion gases spilling into a home if too much air is being consumed by a fireplace or exhausted by kitchen/bathroom fans in a tightly sealed house.
Read the information sheet enclosed with your new alarm. It should be installed where it is easily heard, so as close as possible to your home’s sleeping area is the best place. Carbon monoxide does not just originate from your furnace, but can be emitted from any appliance using fuel such as your fireplace and kitchen stove.
At least one CO alarm should be installed at knee-height, adjacent to the sleeping area of your home. You may need more than one CO alarm if sleeping areas are located on different levels of your home.
The Carbon Monoxide Safety Association recommends annual inspection and maintenance of all fuel-burning appliances, venting systems and chimneys by a qualified service technician. Regularly maintained appliances that are properly ventilated should not produce hazardous levels of carbon monoxide. If you are adding a new fuel-burning appliance or making changes to your home’s ventilation system, please consult a qualified heating contractor to ensure that your home is safe from CO hazards.
We recommend a “dry chemical” type for home use, generally type 2A-10BC.
Refer to the Yellow Pages. Most hardware outlets (Home Hardware, Home Depot)and extinguisher-servicing companies have extinguishers for sale, which are suitable for home use.
Store it away from the stove, near the kitchen entrance. Mount the extinguisher on the bracket that comes with it.
In your workshop or tool shed, mount the extinguisher away from power tools, near the exit.
No. Dry-chemical extinguishers are usually filled with mono-ammonium phosphate, a non-toxic substance. Large amounts of this powder, however, can cause breathing difficulties. If someone has recently used a dry-chemical fire extinguisher, leave the area and call the Fire Service (9-1-1) to ensure that the fire is completely extinguished.
All propane tanks should be stored in a detached shed or outside, protected from the weather. Make sure the tank is stored 10 feet from any of the building’s openings.
No, all old propane tanks must be taken to an outlet that refills them. Do not store them in or around your home and garage.
