Daylight Savings serves as a reminder for residents to check smoke alarms.
This past Sunday, clocks were set forward for Daylight Savings Time. The Kelowna Fire Department urges residents to check smoke alarms, change batteries if necessary, and confirm an adequate number of alarms in homes.
Smoke alarms commonly have a 10-year expiry and some do not require batteries. Residents should check the date and replace alarms as needed, as some may become hypersensitive or stop working.
‘Smoke alarms save lives,’ said Candace Friesen, a Fire Inspector and Life Safety Education representative at the Kelowna Fire Department, emphasizing their importance in waking families during a fire.
Every home must have a working smoke alarm. Post-1979 homes require hardwired alarms, while older homes can use battery-operated ones. Despite education efforts, some homes lack alarms due to financial constraints or landlords’ lack of awareness.
The National Fire Protection Association states that smoke alarms reduce fire death risks by over half. Three out of five fire-related deaths occur in homes without alarms.
The British Columbia Office of the Fire Commissioner partners with Kelowna Fire Department to ensure residences have working smoke alarms.
Kelowna residents without a smoke alarm can contact the Fire Department to receive a free battery-operated alarm, limited to one per household.
Pickups are at Fire Station #1 after completing a questionnaire for proof of residence. Let’s promote fire safety and ensure our families and communities are safer.
For more information about smoke detector distribution, contact Candace Friesen at 250-862-0419.