With the help of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services, approximately 250 families will be better protected against fire and carbon monoxide (CO). On May 27 and 28, fire crews will be installing dual-sensing alarms in homes in selected neighbourhoods.
“Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can saves lives,” said Deputy Chief of Public Safety Russell Croome. “They provide early warning and act as a family’s first line of defence in an emergency. By installing these devices for citizens, we can ensure the alarms are properly located and will function correctly in the event of an emergency.”
“We recognize the need for electrical updates in older neighborhoods, including the need for smoke and carbon monoxide detection,” said Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta (ECAA) Provincial President Eric Fadden. “The ECAA is proud to sponsor the Edmonton Fire Rescue Services Smoke Alarm Program because keeping residents safe is just as important to our association as it is to the fire service."
This is the second year that Edmonton Fire has partnered with the ECAA . The Smoke Alarm Program provides smoke alarms free of charge to homeowners in specific residential communities around the city. The program targets homes built prior to 1974 in neighbourhoods that have a higher than average number of structure fires where a working smoke alarm was not present.
In 2016, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services responded to 107 fires in homes with missing or non-functioning smoke alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association, a functional alarm reduces the risk of dying in a fire by 50 per cent.
Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has provided nearly 7,000 smoke alarms to Edmontonians since the Smoke Alarm Program began in 2007.
