For an 11t h consecutive year, Montréal’s fire department (SIM) will be deploying its smoke alarm brigade. Until the end of September, 45 students will be meeting with residents of various areas in the urban agglomeration of Montréal, to check the presence and proper working order of their smoke alarms.
Role of the smoke alarm brigade
Brigade members will assist prevention agents and firefighters who regularly check the presence and conformity of smoke alarms in private residences.
They will be going door-to-door to remind occupants that smoke alarms are not only mandatory, but must be powered with non-removable lithium batteries having a lifespan of 10 years, unless it is connected to an electrical system.
They will also raise awareness regarding the three most frequent causes of house fires, namely cooking fires, smokers’ items and electrical fires.
Tips to enjoy summer safely
Cooking fires and fires started by smokers’ items make up more than 50% of house fires, and are often due to avoidable distraction. Below are some tips to enjoy your summer safely.
1) If your barbecue is fueled with wood pellets or charcoal, make sure it rests on a fireproof surface.
Ashes from charcoal barbecues must be disposed of in a closed metal container, when they are no longer incandescent. All outdoor cooking appliances must be located more than 60cm away from combustible materials.
2) If you need to put out a cigarette outdoors, use an ashtray that is shielded from the wind and that sits on a stable surface.
Black earth, mulch and other similar soil materials are composed of peat moss or wood chips, all of which are fire hazards if the come into contact with a heat source. There can be a lapse of four to five hours between the time when a cigarette or a joint is put out in such soil, and the time when the first flame appears.
Be careful at all times!