What size of fire extinguisher should I have for my home?

A portable fire extinguisher can save lives and property by putting out a small fire or containing it until the fire department arrives. Because fire grows and spreads so rapidly, the number one priority is to get out safely.​​

Can I use water or baking soda to put out a fire on my stove?

If you have a fire on your stove you should leave the home immediately and call 911 from outside.​ You never want to put water on a cooking fire because it can interact with the grease of the food and cause a much larger fire. Baking soda or other products, such as salt, do not work effectively because you need a very large amount in order to put out the fire.

Can I put out a fire in my home using a garden hose or bucket of water?

Never attempt to put out a fire in your home, especially if it is large. There have been cases in Whitby where residents have attempted to put fires out and have been severely injured.

By not calling 911 immediately, you will delay the fire crews' response, which then allows the fire to grow much larger and more dangerous. A fire doubles in size every 30 seconds. ​

What if my carbon monoxide alarm goes off?

If your CO alarm goes off, follow these steps to be safe:

1. Evacuate all occupants from the home immediately without ventilating
2. Call 911 from a safe location
3. Do not re-enter the home until you are told by WFES it is safe

Where do I install my carbon monoxide alarm?

It is important to install a CO alarm near sleeping areas. You should have a working CO alarm on every level of your home that contains a sleeping area. For added safety, you can add more alarms near heating sources. Test and maintain your CO alarms as given on the manufacturer's instructions.

How can I prevent CO dangers?

To prevent CO leaks from causing unsafe environments and dangers in your home:

• Have all fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces and chimneys cleaned professionally and inspected every year
• Do not leave vehicles or lawn mowers running in enclosed spaces
• Use barbeques outside, not in your home or garage

What are the health risks?

If you are exposed to CO, you may experience the following health risks:

• Headaches
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue

In severe cases, you may experience CO poisoning which can cause brain damage and potentially death. Severe symptoms include:

• Mental confusion
• Vomiting
• Loss of muscle control and coordination
• Loss of consciousness

How can I maintain a CO alarm?

Your carbon monoxide alarm should be tested regularly to make sure it is operating properly. Keep the unit clean and free of dust dirt and other debris, which could affect proper functioning. The manual will tell you how to test your alarm.

You should keep common household chemicals and cleaners away from your CO alarms. Low exposure over an extended period could damage the sensing device and cause it to malfunction.

Where can I buy a CO alarm?

You can purchase a CO alarm at most hardware stores in Canada. Look for a ULC or CSA listed product. Approved devices include:

• Battery operated units
• Electric units that can be plugged into a duplex receptacle
• Hard-wired units

What is carbon monoxide?

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless, tasteless and deadly gas.

Where does carbon monoxide come from?

CO is a gas produced by burning gasoline, wood, propane, charcoal or other fuel. CO can enter your home from faulty or improperly ventilated home appliances that burn natural gas, oil, propane, wood or kerosene.

Create a plan

Things to consider when planning for an emergency:

• Plans for when there is a disruption of day-to-day services including electricity, water, heat, air conditioning, telephone services and transportation
• Plan on having enough food, water and other essentials like medication for at least three days
• Make additional preparations for pets, seniors and persons with special needs

The Emergency Response System

Emergency personnel (police, fire, emergency medical services) will be the first to respond in the event.

For large-scale disasters, Whitby and Durham Region will recall key personnel, open Emergency Operations Centres and coordinate support for the emergency respond personnel.

For more information

You can find more information with the Region of Durham for Emergency Preparedness.

Guidelines to create a home escape plan

Follow these guidelines to help create and practice your home escape plan:

• Ensure that all exists are not being blocked and have two ways out for every room
• Decide who will be responsible for helping young children, seniors or anyone that may need assistance
• Choose a meeting place outside that is a safe distance from your home where everyone can be accounted for
• If you get caught in smoke, get low and go towards the nearest safe exit to avoid smoke inhalation
• Call 911 from outside of your home using a cell phone or your neighbours phone
• Once out, stay out. Never re-enter until you're advised it is safe to do so.
• Practice your plan at night when children are sleeping

How to install a smoke alarm

Follow these steps to installing a proper working smoke alarm:

• Install smoke alarms on the ceiling or place them high on the wall if the ceiling isn't possible (between 4 and 12 inches from the ceiling)
• Follow the manufacturers' instructions for further proper set up
• Avoid locations near bathrooms, heating appliances, windows or close to ceiling fans or corners

Maintenance for smoke alarms

Follow these steps to make sure your smoke alarms are working at their best:

• Test your smoke alarms every month using the test button
• Replace smoke alarm batteries twice a year and whenever the low battery warning sounds
• Replace smoke alarms every ten years

How to manage nuisance alarms

Sometimes smoke alarms are accidentally set off, generally because of cooking activities or steam from the shower. To help this problem so that smoke alarms only go off when there is a real emergency:

• Install smoke alarms with a "pause" or "hush" feature
• Move the alarm elsewhere on the ceiling
• Use the fan on the range hood when cooking
• Avoid having a smoke alarm too close to the cooking area
• Keep ovens and burners clean and turn down the setting on the toaster

What should I do if the smoke alarm goes off?

If your smoke alarm is in full alarm mode, alert others and evacuate to your family meeting place outside of your home. Do not re-enter your home and call 911 from a safe location.

If the alarm is chirping, first check the area to try to detect the smell of smoke. If you are certain that no emergency exists, assess the number of chirps and the interval between chirps.

Check the manual to determine the cause of the beeps. For example, an alarm may chirp once every minute to indicate the battery is in need of replacement, or once every 30 seconds for end of life notification. You can give us a call at 905-668-3312 and ask to speak with a Fire Prevention Officer if you need help with your smoke alarm.

Where can I buy a smoke alarm?

You can buy a smoke alarm at most department or hardware stores. Electrical smoke alarms (hard wired) and battery operated smoke alarms must be ULC listed.

What kind of smoke alarm should I buy?

There are two types of alarms – ionization and photoelectric. They operate on different principles and therefore may respond differently to various conditions.

Ionization

• Fastest type to respond to flaming fires
• Lowest cost and most commonly sold
• Some models have a hush or temporary silence feature that allows silencing without removing the battery
• Some models are available with a long life battery

Photoelectric

• Fastest type to respond to slow smouldering fires
• Less prone to nuisance alarms from cooking
• Photoelectric smoke alarms may respond slightly faster to smouldering fires, while ionization alarms respond slightly faster to flaming fires

Both alarms will detect all types of fires that commonly occur in the home. Installing both types of smoke alarms in your home can enhance fire safety.

Why does my toaster and steam from my shower set off my smoke alarm?

Sometimes there is smoke generated from the toaster when it's in use, and if that smoke gets into the smoke alarm the alarm will go off. As well, the water vapour from the shower mimics the effect of smoke, and causes the alarm to go off.

Smoke alarms are designed to be very sensitive in order to detect smoke. As annoying as an overly sensitive smoke alarm may be, it's still a key part of your home's security to give you an early warning and allows you time to escape.

If your smoke alarm continuously goes off when you cook, do not take the alarm down, but replace it with a unit that has a hush feature. You can also move it further away from the kitchen, but keep in mind that a smoke alarm must be placed outside of all sleeping areas.

Why do I need to replace smoke alarms every 10 years?

After 10 years, the smoke alarm has tested the air in your home 3.5 million times. The components inside the alarm can wear out and may not detect a fire as quickly. Most manufacturers recommend replacing them, including hard wired (electrical) alarms, after ten years to ensure the best level of protection in your home.

How do I dispose of an old smoke alarm?

Smoke alarms from households, containing no more than 185 kBq or 5 uCi of americium 241, are classified as domestic waste. A typical smoke alarm contains approximately 33.3 kBq (0.9 uCi) of americium 241. Homeowners should dispose of smoke alarms that are at the end of their life with their regular waste. This is in line with the provisions of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission's (CNSC) Nuclear Substances and Radiation Devices Regulations and the Ministry of the Environment's Regulation 347 General – Waste Management.

If household smoke alarms are collected in larger amounts or contain radium (this will be indicated on the smoke alarm) contact the CNSC to determine the proper disposal procedure.

Is it okay to replace hard-wired or electrically-connected smoke alarms with battery-powered smoke alarms?

No. When smoke alarms are being replaced, the installation must not reduce the level of detection required by the Ontario Building Code at the time of construction of the dwelling unit, or by municipal by-laws in effect before the Fire Code adopted this requirement.

This requirement is contained in Sentence 6.3.3.5.(1) of the Fire Code. Permanently wired individual smoke alarms or electrically interconnected smoke alarm installations must be maintained to provide the same level of protection as originally required. Any replacement smoke alarms must be of a type comparable to the original (or better).

Do residential sprinklers have maintenance requirements?

Residential sprinklers don't require any maintenance. However, we recommend that you check your sprinkler regularly to ensure the water valve remains open.

Will sprinklers be esthetically pleasing in my home?

Never paint sprinklers. Instead, there are a variety of models available including sprinklers that can be installed with concealed plates so the blend in with your wall colour and finishes.

Are electric stoves safer than natural gas stoves?

Both stoves are safe to use and modern gas stoves have built in safety mechanisms that can prevent natural gas build up in your home. The greatest stove-related danger comes when people leave cooking unattended.

Can I plug an appliance into an extension cord?

Extension cords should only be used on a temporary basis. Make sure you unplug and safely store them after every use. Never use a cord that feels hot or is damaged in any way. Touching even a single exposed strand can give you an electric shock or burn. Also, make sure extension cords are properly rated for their intended use, indoor or outdoor, and meet or exceed the power needs of the tool being used. Here are some tips:​

• Never remove an extension cord's grounding pin in order to fit it into a two-prong outlet
• Avoid powering multiple appliances with one cord
• Never use indoor extension cords outdoors
• Don't plug multiple cords together
• Don't run extension cords under rugs or furniture
• Never tape extension cords to floors or attach them to surfaces with staples or nails

What is a door closer and why do I need one on my apartment door?

Door closing hardware is attached to a door and allows the door to automatically close and latch after it has been opened. Other terms for this hardware includes:

• Self-closing hardware
• Self-closer
• Self-closing device
• Closer
• Door closer

If there is a fire in an apartment, the door closer will automatically shut the door after the occupant leaves. This will limit the spread of smoke and fire into the corridor and other parts of the building.

The Ontario Fire Code requires self-closing devices on residential suite doors in apartment buildings that are more than six storeys in height, in apartment buildings that are not greater than six storeys in building height (where the suite doors open onto corridors that have only one direction of exit travel or where the corridor is contiguous with the exit stair), in some lodging, rooming and boarding house configurations, and in some two-unit residential occupancies.

Both the Ontario Building Code and the Fire Code identify many other locations in buildings where self-closing devices are needed, such as on exit stair doors, laundry room doors and garbage room doors. Generally, doors in corridors require this hardware, with some exceptions.

Are electric or propane barbecues allowed on apartment balconies?

There is no provision in the Fire Code to prohibit propane or electric barbecues on balconies. The Propane Storage and Handling Act does not permit propane tanks larger than five pounds inside a building. Many buildings have a “no barbecue” rule in their leases or condominium rules and this would be administered under the Residential Tenancies Act.