🔥 Smoke & Carbon Monoxide Alarms

Save Lives

 🛑 Smoke Alarms

Working smoke alarms are your first line of defense in a fire. They provide early warning, giving you and your family time to escape safely.

Types of Smoke Alarms

• Hardwired: Connected to your home’s electrical system.
• Battery-powered: Operate independently of your home’s power.

Even if you have hardwired alarms, always install battery-powered ones as a backup in case of a power outage.

Where to Install

• In every bedroom
• In hallways outside sleeping areas
• On every level of your home, including the basement

Avoid placing alarms near windows, ceiling fans, or vents—airflow can prevent smoke from reaching the sensor.

Maintenance Tips

• Test alarms monthly
• Replace batteries every 6 months (tip: when you change your clocks for daylight saving time)
• Replace the entire alarm every 5 years

If the Alarm Sounds

1. Ensure everyone is safe
2. Follow your home escape plan
3. Call 911 immediately

🔗 Learn more at Health Canada – Smoke Alarms

☠️ Carbon Monoxide (CO) Alarms

Carbon monoxide is a silent killer—an invisible, odorless, and colorless gas produced when fuels burn incompletely.

Common Sources

• Fuel-burning appliances (furnaces, stoves, water heaters)
• Vehicles or generators running in attached garages

Where to Install

• Outside each sleeping area, in a central location
• Near the ceiling, as CO is lighter than air

Maintenance Tips

• Test monthly
• Replace according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• Ensure alarms are ULC or CSA approved

Symptoms of CO Poisoning

• Severe headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea or vomiting
• Mental confusion or fainting

These symptoms can mimic the flu or food poisoning—don’t ignore them.

🔗 Learn more at Health Canada – Carbon Monoxide Safety