Reducing Fire and Carbon Monoxide Deaths through Safe Community Project Zero

Today, Enbridge Gas Inc. (Enbridge Gas), the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (FMPFSC) and Orangeville Fire Services announced they are working together to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.

Orangeville Fire received 258 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero–a public education campaign that will provide more than 10,000 alarms to residents in 50 municipalities across Ontario.
This year, Enbridge Gas invested $315,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 15 years, the program has provided more than 86,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.

When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.

“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. When we implement these strategies together, we protect our loved ones from carbon monoxide poisoning, also known as the silent killer,” says Mark D’Costa, Supervisor Operations, GTA West Region, Enbridge Gas.

“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,” says Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the FMPFSC. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a carbon monoxide alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”

“Orangeville Fire Services is exceptionally thankful to be one of the recipients to receive the Safe Community Project Zero combination smoke/CO alarms for our community,” says Mike Richardson, Acting Fire Chief, Orangeville Fire Services. “The project aligns with local initiatives our department offers through our outreach programs and services to
high-risk, elderly, and people with disability or financial challenges to ensure each resident in our community lives safely in their own home.”

About Orangeville Fire Services
The mission of Orangeville Fire Services is to protect life, property and the environment in Orangeville and the surrounding area through education, prevention, training, rescue, fire suppression and pre-hospital care support services. The Orangeville Fire Services’ suppression team consists of 20 full-time firefighters and 32 volunteer firefighters who provide fire emergency response services 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The fire prevention division ensures life safety through education, inspections, and enforcement. Orangeville Fire responds to emergencies in the Town of Orangeville, the Town of Mono and East Garafraxa and Amaranth Townships.

About the FMPFSC
The FMPFSC was established in 1993 with a mission to help create “a world where no one is hurt by fire.” Chaired by the Ontario Fire Marshal, the FMPFSC promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals with an interest in public safety. Follow the FMPFSC on Twitter @FMPFSC.

About Enbridge Gas Inc.
Enbridge Gas is Canada’s largest natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario, with 2023 marking its 175th anniversary of serving customers. The distribution business provides safe, affordable, reliable energy to about 3.9 million customers and is leading the transition to a clean energy future through net-zero emissions targets and investments in innovative low-carbon energy solutions. The storage and transmission business offers a variety of storage and transportation services to customers at the Dawn Hub, the largest integrated underground storage facility in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Enbridge Gas is owned by Enbridge (ENB), a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution. Visit enbridgegas.com to learn more.