Greater Sudbury Fire Services has received 420 smoke detector/carbon monoxide detectors from Enbridge Gas Inc., which will be distributed to residents of the city’s outlying communities.
“It’s a great initiative by Enbridge, because they look after fuel-fired appliances, so carbon monoxide is their big concern,” deputy chief Nathan Melin told Sudbury.com.
Although smoke detectors should be in every home, carbon monoxide detectors are only required in buildings with fuel-fired appliances, such as those powered by natural gas, propane and oil.
Still, chief prevention officer Phil Doiron said, there’s no harm in having a carbon monoxide detector.
The combination smoke/carbon monoxide detectors last for 10 years without the need for a change in batteries, and will be distributed by volunteer firefighters at the city’s various fire halls.
They will be handed out free of charge to those who need them, with the city targetting the city’s outlying communities because volunteer fire stations tend to have a slower response time.
The goal behind this targeted approach, Melin said, is “so those individuals who may have an increased response time from fire services have the devices necessary to alert them to an emergency and allow them to get out of the house in a timely fashion.”
So far this year, city firefighters have responded to 168 potential carbon monoxide incidents. Excluding false alarms, these included 28 incidents where carbon monoxide was present.
Enbridge Gas Sudbury and area operations supervisor Brad Taylor told Sudbury.com that the donation is part of a broader community safety effort the company is committed to.
“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,” he said in a media release.
“When we implement these strategies together, we protect our loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning, also known as the silent killer.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
