Project Zero donation to help County firefighters save lives

At the presentation of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, from left, are: Tim Kraemer, Deputy Fire Chief, Mike Branscombe, Fire Prevention Officer, Chad Brown, Fire Chief, Mike Cooney, Eastern Region Supervisor Operations Enbridge Gas Inc., Matt Stiff, Firefighter and Mayor Steve Ferguson.

Prince Edward County Fire & Rescue received 246 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms Monday, to be shared with residents in need.

The presentation by Enbridge Gas, is part of the Safe Community Project Zero – a public education campaign with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council providing more than 10,000 alarms to residents in 50 municipalities across Ontario.

The goal is to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.

This year, Enbridge Gas invested $315,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 15 years, the program has provided more than 86,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.

County Fire Chief Chad Brown says the department is grateful “for their very generous donation that supports our safety messaging that only working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms save lives.”

The alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.

“Properly maintaining fuel burning equipment is the best way to reduce potential exposure to carbon monoxide, and an alarm is a critical second line of defense for protection,” says Mike Cooney, Eastern REgion Supervisor Operations, Enbridge Gas. “When we implement these strategies together, we protect our loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning, also known as the silent killer.”

The Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office states there a a renewed focus on the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in homes. Ontario homes must have a carbon monoxide alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.