New Home Fire Safety Education Program launches across the City

HAMILTON, ON – May 19, 2017- The Hamilton Fire Department will embark on a new Home Fire Safety Education initiative across the City of Hamilton, commencing the week of May 22, 2017. 

In 2016, Hamilton firefighters responded to 287 structure fires across the City of Hamilton. Seventy-six percent of those fires occurred in people’s homes, a place where most of us feel the safest. In addition, 11 citizens lost their lives as the result of fire in 2016.

Following several of these tragic fires, Hamilton Fire Chief David Cunliffe publicly committed to conduct a review of the Department’s home fire safety initiatives and determine a new approach to addressing how the Hamilton Fire Department could better educate residents on home fire safety.

“If we are going to be successful in reducing the incidents of fire across the City then it is people’s behaviours and knowledge of fire safe practices in the home that must be addressed" - David Cunliffe, Hamilton Fire Chief 

The top two causes of fires in homes across the City are careless smoking and unattended cooking. These types of fires are caused by people’s behaviours and are clearly preventable. Operational smoke alarms in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code were found in only 48% of the homes that experienced a fire in 2016. Working smoke alarms will provide citizens with the earliest warning of a fire in their home and afford them the time necessary to safely evacuate their home. In 2016, seven of the eleven fatalities occurred in a home with no working smoke alarms. 

This new Home Fire Safety Education program will see Hamilton firefighters go door to door and make direct contact with residents in their homes with a goal of raising public awareness of common home fire safety hazards and what preventative measures can be taken to reduce the number of home fires. Firefighters will discuss fire safety with respect to smoking and cooking as well as home fire escape planning. Smoke alarms will be tested to ensure operability and when necessary, firefighters will provide and install the required number of smoke alarms and/or batteries, free of charge.

Home fire safety visits will take place Monday to Friday from 7 to 9 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to noon.

For residents not at home at the time firefighters arrive, information will be left to have firefighters return at a more convenient time. These home fire safety educational visits will occur in all areas of the City by both career and volunteer firefighters.

For additional information on the new Home Fire Safety Education Program or other programs offered by the Hamilton Fire Department, please visit our website at www.hamilton.ca/fire.