Enbridge Gas teams up with Central York Fire Services to reduce fire and carbon monoxide deaths

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

CYFS received 414 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 Jason McArthur, Operations Manager, GTA East Operations, 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.”

“When emergencies happen, working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms give residents the early warning they need to safely evacuate,” says CYFS Fire Chief, Ian Laing. “Enbridge’s generous donation supports our annual smoke alarm campaign to encourage proper use of smoke alarms and promote fire prevention and safety.”

About the Central York Fire Services

Central York Fire Services (CYFS) is a consolidated fire department that provides protection to the Towns of Newmarket and Aurora. CYFS operates under the direction of a six-member Joint Council Committee made up of three members from each of the Town Councils. The Joint Council Committee provides and administers a borderless, single-tier of fire protection and prevention services throughout both towns in accordance with the Consolidated Fire Services Agreement and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act. Visit cyfs.cafor more information.