Safe Community Project Zero aims to reduce fire and carbon monoxide deaths in Johnson Township

Johnson Fire Department received 84 combination smoke- and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero, which is an education campaign that provides alarms to individuals across Ontario.

Enbridge Gas has invested $500,000 this year in the project which has provided 68,000 alarms over 13 years.

The project is supported by Enbridge Gas, the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council and Johnson Township Fire Department.

For more information, please see the press release included below.

Today, Enbridge Gas, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and Johnson Township Fire Department announced they are working to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.

Johnson Fire Department received 84 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero–a public education campaign that will provide over 16,600 alarms to residents in 70 municipalities across Ontario.

This year, Enbridge Gas invested $500,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 13 years, the program has provided more than 68,000 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.

“Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives. We know that the best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and that the alarms are a critical second line of defense to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning,” says Luke Skaarup, Director, Northern Region Operations, Enbridge Gas.

“The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario communities who need them the most,” says Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a CO alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”

Fire Chief Ron Smith is pleased to participate in Project Zero. “The opportunity to increase awareness concerning the risks associated with CO is indeed appreciated,” says Chief Smith. “The fact that we have alarms to distribute to folks within the community is a tremendous boost to our fire prevention program in Johnson Township.”