Kingston Fire & Rescue Time Change and Halloween Safety Tips

Published on: 2014/10/29 - in Releases

Kingston Fire & Rescue reminds Kingstonians to make sure they will be seen, safe and fire-free on Halloween. The department also advises the public to change smoke alarm and carbon monoxide (CO) alarm batteries when moving clocks back an hour for the end of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday, Nov.2.

HALLOWEEN SAFETY TIPS:

– The best costumes are fire retardant and reflective. Keep costumes short, avoid loose clothing and capes to reduce the chance of tripping and to minimize the risk of contact with candles. Teach children to stop, drop and roll, covering their faces should clothing catch fire.
– Give trick-or-treaters a flashlight with fresh batteries or glow sticks and refresh traffic safety rules. Be extra careful when driving and accompany children when they go out trick-or-treating.
– Use battery-operated lights or glow sticks in jack-o-lanterns instead of candles. Never use candles in decorative paper bags. Always keep children and pets away from candles. Always keep matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children.
– Do not overload electrical outlets with holiday lighting or special effects. Keep exit doors unobstructed.

CHANGE YOUR CLOCKS, CHANGE YOUR BATTERIES

“Working smoke and CO alarms provide occupants with enough early warning to safely escape potentially life-threatening situations,” says Assistant Chief and Director of Fire Prevention Paul Patry.
He urges all residents to check and/or change the batteries in these live-saving detectors when they put their clocks back on Sunday.

Ontario law requires you have properly functioning smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside sleeping areas.

Hard wired (electric) smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms must also be tested monthly.
To guarantee alarms will work properly, always install new batteries in life safety devices and press the test button to confirm the devices are operational.

Smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms have a maximum life expectancy of 5 to 10 years and should be replaced as per the manufacturers’ instructions.

Tenants should contact their landlord immediately if their rental property does not have the required number of smoke alarms. It is against the law for tenants to remove smoke alarm batteries or tamper with smoke alarms in any way.

Failure to comply the Ontario Fire Code smoke alarm requirements may result in a ticket of $235 or a fine of up to $50,000 for individuals, homeowners, and tenants or $100,000 for corporations.

DROP OFF OLD BATTERIES

If you need to replace your batteries, drop off the old ones for proper disposal at one of these locations: City Hall, 216 Ontario St.; the INVISTA Centre, 1350 Gardiners Rd.; Rideaucrest Home, 175 Rideau St.; Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, 53 Yonge St.; or the Kingston Area Recycling Centre (KARC) at 196 Lappan’s Lane.


Release source: Kingston Fire and Rescue