| Sourced From |
Paul Antonello has answered plenty of questions about a new city bylaw in recent weeks. Fielding call after call is just fine with the Sault Ste. Marie Fire Services fire prevention officer.
Beginning this past Thursday, every home in the city with a fuel-fired appliance such as a furnace, fireplace, clothes dryer that uses wood, natural gas, propane, oil kerosene, coal or charcoal, and/or an attached garage must have a working carbon monoxide alarm.
“We’re getting calls steady,” said Antonello about public inquiries during the past month.
“That’s great. We’re hoping that’s increasing how many carbon monoxide alarms get put in.”
During their annual door-to-door campaign during the summer, firefighters spoke with an estimated 300 to 400 homeowners about the upcoming bylaw.
Antonello and other fire prevention officers will be at various retail stores, including Walmart, Soo Mill Buildall, Canadian Tire and Home Depot, from 10 a. m. to 3 p. m. Monday to Friday, during Fire Prevention Week.
“A big part of what we’re going to talk about is carbon monoxide,” he said.
While the law requires only one alarm per home, it’s even better to have one on each floor.
“It is the best way to go, yes,” said Antonello.
“(It’s) the same as a smoke alarm. You put one on every level. You’ve got everything covered from floor to floor.”
It’s education outreach like that, instead of slapping fines of up to $5,000, that the fire department is banking on to ensure public compliance with the new law.
“We’re going to . . . promote it as much as we can and educate as much as we can,” said Antonello.
“If we come across it, a problem with it, in a home then we would probably have to deal with that specific incident. People could be charged, I guess, but we’re not going to take that approach off the bat.”
The fire department responds to about 200 carbon monoxide calls a year.