• Working smoke alarms are required by Ontario Fire Code on every storey of your home, and outside all sleeping areas. Depending on the date your home was built, you may also require smoke alarms in every bedroom.
• For added protection, install smoke alarms in bedrooms, especially if you or family members sleep with bedroom doors closed.
• Install new alarms according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Install in the proper locations. Avoid installing smoke alarms in or adjacent to kitchens and bathrooms, or near air vents, windows and ceiling fans.
• It is the homeowner’s responsibility to install and maintain smoke alarms.
• It is the responsibility of landlords to ensure their rental properties comply with the law.
• If you are a tenant, it is your responsibility to ensure that the alarms provided are in working condition. If there are alarms missing, or not working properly, it is your responsibility to notify your landlord immediately.

• The Code also requires that your smoke alarms meet the Underwriters' Laboratories of Canada (ULC) standards. Smoke alarms that the ULC test and approve are marked with a label.

 A smoke alarm can only save your family if it is working. Simple maintenance on your alarm will make sure it is.

• Test smoke alarms monthly by pressing the ‘test’ button on the alarm.
• Change the batteries at least twice a year, or immediately when you hear the ‘low battery’ chirp.
• Clean your smoke alarms monthly with a gentle, soft bristle vacuum attachment. Test after cleaning.
• Listen for an occasional chirping sound, this could mean the alarm batteries are low or there is too much dust on the alarm
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maintaining smoke alarms.
• It is against the law for anyone to disable a smoke alarm.

Smoke alarms do not last forever. Check the date on your alarm, and replace according to manufacturer’s instructions. You may also need to replace a smoke alarm that isn't working properly. Some reasons for replacing a smoke alarm include:

• The smoke alarm has gone over the manufacturer's recommended life cycle
• The alarm doesn't sound when you test it, even after you confirm the batteries are full or the AC power supply is properly connected
• The exterior case is damaged or painted
• The smoke alarm is covered with smoke stains, heavy grease or dirt
• The smoke alarm has frequent false alarms that are not caused by cooking or steam
• Batteries appear to be leaking or corroding

• If the smoke alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside.
• Respond quickly – get up and go, remember to know two ways out of every room, get yourself outside quickly, and go to your outside meeting place with your family.
• Manage nuisance alarms. If a smoke alarm frequently activates due to cooking activities or using the shower, do not remove the battery! Try moving the smoke alarm, purchasing a smoke alarm with a hush feature, or replacing ionization alarms located near kitchens with photoelectric alarms.

There are many brands of smoke alarms on the market, but they fall under two basic types - ionization and photoelectric.

Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms detect different types of fires. Since no one can predict what type of fire might start in their home, the USFA recommends that every home and place where people sleep have:

• Both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms. OR
• Dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors.

Choose interconnected smoke alarms, so when one sounds, they all sound.

Be sure that you are purchasing approved alarms. Health Canada recently issued an alert to consumers to check for a recognized Canadian certification mark on the product when purchasing smoke or carbon monoxide (CO) alarms after multiple unapproved devices were found on the market. Products that do not have a recognized Canadian certification mark may not meet Canadian performance standards and could fail or operate incorrectly.

Smoke alarms are powered by battery or by your home's electrical system. If the smoke alarm is powered by battery, it runs on either a disposable nine-volt battery or a non-replaceable 10-year lithium (“long-life”) battery. Alarms that get power from your home's electrical system, or “hardwired,” usually have a back-up battery that will need to be replaced once a year.

Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save. For the price of a pizza you could protect your family for 10 years!

Never take the battery out of your smoke alarm while cooking! If a smoke alarm sounds while you're cooking or taking a shower with lots of steam, do not remove the battery. You should:

• Open a window or door and press the “hush” button.
• Wave a towel at the alarm to clear the air.
• If possible, relocate the entire alarm several feet away from the kitchen or bathroom.
• Disabling a smoke alarm or removing the battery can be a deadly mistake.