Saved by the Beep urges locals to test their smoke detectors

Tay’s fire chief is calling on all residents to take the beep test.

As part of the Saved by the Beep challenge, Shawn Aymer wants residents to test their smoke alarms this Saturday since he notes working smoke alarms are the best chance to keep you and your family safe in the event of a fire.

“Preparedness in the event of a fire begins with the simple act of pressing the test button, ensuring that a functioning smoke alarm is present in your home,” Aymer says.

“Lives will be saved by regularly testing smoke alarms at least once a month, refreshing batteries at least once a year, and replacing smoke alarms older than 10 years.”

In 2022, 133 people in Ontario died as a result of fires, a figure that represents the highest number in more than 20 years.

Many of these fires were found to have no working smoke alarm and stand as a reminder that only working smoke alarms will alert you to a fire and give you and your loved ones enough time to safely escape.

“In Ontario, we’ve seen a significant rise in fatal fires and the number of people we have lost in these fires is very concerning,” Ontario Fire Marshal Jon Pegg said in a release.

“Entire families have been lost to fire and the most troubling part is that the majority of these fires did not have a working smoke alarm in the home. Had there been working smoke alarms, and a well thought out and practiced home fire escape plan, these deaths may have been prevented.”

The Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM), with the support of fire services and fire safety partners across Ontario, is asking Ontarians to regularly test their smoke alarms with a challenge to test all smoke alarms in their residence on September 28.

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