Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week 2021 - November 1 to 7, 2021
What is carbon monoxide (CO)?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, tasteless and invisible poisonous gas produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels such as natural gas, oil, gasoline, propane, kerosene or wood. CO can make a person feel sick, and severe cases can cause brain damage and death.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
- headache,
- dizziness,
- nausea,
- breathlessness,
- collapse,
- loss of consciousness.
What do I do if my carbon monoxide alarm sounds?
If your alarm sounds, get outside to fresh air as soon as possible and call 9-1-1.
If you or someone in your household are experiencing theContinue reading
What is carbon monoxide (CO)?
Carbon monoxide (CO) is an odourless, tasteless and invisible poisonous gas produced by the incomplete combustion of fuels such as natural gas, oil, gasoline, propane, kerosene or wood. CO can make a person feel sick, and severe cases can cause brain damage and death.
What are the symptoms of CO poisoning?
- headache,
- dizziness,
- nausea,
- breathlessness,
- collapse,
- loss of consciousness.
What do I do if my carbon monoxide alarm sounds?
If your alarm sounds, get outside to fresh air as soon as possible and call 9-1-1.
If you or someone in your household are experiencing the above mentioned symptoms, seek medical attention immediately.
Emergency responders will let you know once it's safe to re-enter the home.
Why are CO alarms important?
Since we can’t see, smell, or taste CO, we need to rely on CO alarms to help with early detection and warning of poisonous gas in our homes.
Provincial legislation requires that the Home Owner install CO alarms in homes across Ontario where there is a risk of CO poisoning.
Specifically adjacent to all sleeping areas in residential homes, and in the service rooms and outside all sleeping areas adjacent to service rooms in multi-residential units. Always install the device or plug in the device according to the manufacturer's recommendations. The Home Owner must also test these devices regularly and replace them when they expire.
What does a CO alarm sound like?
Your CO alarm sounds different from your smoke alarm.
Smoke alarms have three long beeps and go beep, beep, beep pause beep, beep, beep.
CO alarms normally have four quick beeps and go beep, beep, beep, beep pause beep, beep, beep, beep.
Hear the difference:
Test your CO and smoke alarms monthly and make sure everyone in your home knows the difference between the two alarm sounds, and knows what to do when the alarm activates.
The sound of your CO alarm’s low-battery warning has a different sound (one beep every minute). Follow your CO alarm manufacturer’s instructions so you know the difference between the low-battery warning, the end-of-life warning, and the alarm that alerts you to the presence of CO in your home.
Helpful tip:
Batteries on your alarm device should be replaced as needed. It is recommended to do this every six months -- When you change your clocks, change your batteries.
Devices (even if they are hardwired) need to be replaced as per the manufacturer's instructions (usually every 10 years).
For more CO safety tips, visit the Office of the Fire Marshal website.
For more fire safety tips and information, visit the Markham Fire and Emergency Services web page and click on Fire Safety & Emergency Preparedness.
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"Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety" to keep your family safe, Markham Review (October 3, 2021)
Staying safe at home, Markham Review (August 26, 2021)
Firefighters to use $19K grant to create videos, Markham Review (July 14, 2021)
Markham announces Adam Grant as city's new fire chief, YorkRegion.com (November 10, 2020)
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Watch this Serving Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen video with Public Education Officer Alex Freeman:
Whether you are learning to cook or you are an experienced chef, the first thing to know is how to prevent a fire. Only you can prevent cooking fires!
- Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, boiling, grilling or broiling food and check it regularly. Consider using a timer to remind you to check on the food. If you must leave, turn off the stove.
- Have a kid-free zone, or at least 3 feet (1 metre) space around the stove and areas where hot food or drinks are prepared or carried.
- Keep anything that burns - cooking utensils, dishcloths, paper towels and pot holders a safe distance from the stove.
Think fast!
Listen to a special message from Markham Fire and Emergency Services Captain Warlito Gallenero:
Knowing "what to do" in the event of a fire "can save your life!"
If you have a cooking fire:
- Shout "Fire" and get out. When you leave, close the door behind you to help contain the fire.
- Call 9-1-1.
- If you try to fight the fire, be sure others are getting out and that you have a clear way out.
- Keep a lid nearby when cooking to smother small grease fires. Smother the fire by sliding the lid over the pan and turning off the stove top. Leave it there until it is completely cooled.
- For an oven fire, turn off the heat and keep the oven door closed.
- To ensure early detection of a fire or a potential fire in your kitchen, make sure you have a working smoke alarm outside the kitchen area and on each floor level of the home. The alarm will give you the time you need to escape the fire.
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Fire Safety Videos
Downloadable Resources
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Family Safety Checklist.pdf (1.71 MB) (pdf)
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Activity - Create Your Kid Safety Zone for the Kitchen (1.06 MB) (pdf)
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Cooking Fire Safety (423 KB) (pdf)
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Campus Fire Safety for Students - Questions to Ask the Landlord (383 KB) (pdf)
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Campus Safety - Questions to Ask School Officials (434 KB) (pdf)
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Cooking Fire Safety Tips (841 KB) (pdf)