Whitby Fire and Emergency Services and Enbridge Gas are joining forces to help reduce fire and carbon monoxide (CO) fatalities through the Safe Community Project Zero initiative. Thanks to a $450,000 investment from Enbridge Gas, Whitby Fire and Emergency Services received 402 alarms for local homes. Over the past 16 years, Safe Community Project Zero has provided Ontario fire departments with more than 101,000 alarms, empowering residents with early warnings to escape fires or CO exposure.

This project, in collaboration with the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC), aims to distribute more than 14,500 combination smoke and CO alarms to residents across 75 Ontario communities, including Whitby.

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Ensuring that every home in Whitby is equipped with working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms is crucial to protecting our community. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Enbridge Gas for their generous support of Safe Community Project Zero. Together, we are making strides toward reducing fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths, reinforcing our commitment to the safety and well-being of every resident in our town.

-       Fire Chief Michael Hickey, Whitby Fire and Emergency Services

Across Ontario, there is a renewed focus on the importance of having working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in your home. The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver these alarms to areas where they are needed most. It’s a program that helps fire departments educate their communities about the requirements to have working smoke alarms installed in all Ontario homes and for all Ontario homes to have a carbon monoxide alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.

-       Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the FMPFSC

The best way to reduce potential exposure to carbon monoxide is to properly maintain fuel-burning equipment. These alarms are a critical second line of defence against carbon monoxide poisoning, known as ‘the silent killer’. We’re proud to support our communities and raise awareness and help Ontarians implement these protection strategies.

-       Ryan Marshall, Operations Manager, GTA East, Enbridge Gas

For more information, visit the Whitby Fire website at www.whitby.ca/fire or follow @WhitbyFire.