Fire Services

Furnaces, water heaters, clothes dryers, space heaters, ranges, ovens, fireplaces, wood stoves, charcoal grills, and automobiles all produce potentially lethal carbon monoxide.

If you have one of these appliances in your home, you are required to install a carbon monoxide alarm near all sleeping areas.

THE SILENT KILLER!

Carbon monoxide is called the "Silent Killer" because you can't see, smell, or taste it.

Help protect yourself and your family from carbon monoxide with these important steps: 

• Install carbon monoxide alarms near the sleeping areas of your home.
• Make sure all fuel-burning appliances, systems, and chimneys are properly ventilated and are serviced once per year by a qualified service technician or heating contractor.
• Check for improper furnace venting and cracked furnace heat exchangers.
• Do not allow vehicle exhaust fumes to enter your home.
• Avoid using charcoal grills inside your home, tents, camper vehicles, or unventilated garages.
• Clean and inspect chimneys and flues once per year to ensure adequate ventilation. Animals and bird nests, snow, ice, and other debris can block gases from escaping your chimney.
• If your carbon monoxide alarm goes off and someone experiences headaches, dizziness, or nausea, call 9-1-1 and move everyone outside of the house or building.  Do not re-enter until your home is completely aired out and the problem has been corrected.

BACKGROUND

Each year hundreds of people die from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Many of these deaths could be prevented by installing CO alarms in the home. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odourless gas that is produced by burning wood, coal, charcoal, natural gas, gasoline, propane, oil methane, and other common fuels. Carbon monoxide is also produced by automobiles and other gasoline or diesel engines; electrical equipment does not produce carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide enters your body, undetected, through breathing, and poisoning can be confused with the flu, food poisoning, or other illnesses. Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, light-headedness, or shortness of breath.  High levels of CO can cause death within just a few minutes.  A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.

Carbon monoxide alarms are not substitutes for smoke alarms. Know the difference between the sound of a smoke alarm and the sound of a CO alarm.

Once a fire has started, you may have only seconds to safely escape your home!

Fire and smoke can spread quickly, so be prepared in advance with these simple steps for home fire escape planning:

Assess the needs of everyone in your home

• Identify anyone who requires assistance to get out of the home safely, such as small children or older adults

Make sure that you have working smoke alarms on every storey of the home and outside all sleeping areas

• Make sure everyone in the home knows the sound of the smoke alarm

Identify all possible exits (doors and windows) and make sure they work

• Know two ways out of all areas, if possible

Everyone must know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds

• Assign someone to help those who need assistance
• Identify a safe meeting place outside
• Call the fire department from a neighbour's home or cell phone

Practice your home fire escape plan

• Have everyone participate
• Make changes to your plan if necessary

Safe and Warm

• Keep space heaters at least 1 metre (3 feet) away from walls, sofas, and anything else that can burn.
• Ensure your chimney has been inspected or cleaned in the past 12 months.
• Get a screen for your fireplace to catch sparks
• Ensure your heating system is professionally serviced every 12 months.

Smoking Materials

• Encourage smokers to smoke outside.
• Keep matches and lighters locked up and out of sight and reach of children
• Invest in large, deep, heavy ashtrays

Hazardous Materials

• Keep paints, gasoline and other flammable liquids stored away from flames and sparks.
• Store gasoline outside the home in a separate shed or garage.
• Keep your storage area free of oily rags, used paint, or varnish rags.

House Wiring

• Make sure the tripping points of your fuses or breakers match the capacity of the circuits they protect (have them inspected professionally).
• Protected bathroom and kitchen wall outlets by ground-fault circuit-interrupters (GFCIs)
• Invest in arc-fault circuit-interrupters (AFCIs). Although currently only mandatory in bedroom wiring in new homes, these are an added safety feature that detect abnormal arcing in a circuit.

Kitchen Tips

• Stay in the kitchen at all times when using the stove.
• Keep your stovetop clear of grease, spills, and clutter.
• Turn pot handles towards the back of the stove.

Keeping Your Family Safe from Fire

• Ensure smoke alarms are installed on every level of your home and in each sleeping area.
• Ensure your smoke alarms work. Test them once a month and replace batteries once a year.
• Make sure everyone in your home knows the sound of the smoke alarm.
• If you have people in your home who are deaf or hard of hearing, invest in alarms with flashing lights.
• If your smoke alarms are more than 10 years old, replace them.
• Develop a home fire escape plan, and practice it every six months.
• Consider installing an automatic fire sprinkler system in your home. Sprinklers can contain or put out a fire in less time than it takes the fire department to arrive.

If you have any questions on the above or other fire safety issues, please contact the Fire Prevention Officer by email jlonghurst@pelham.ca or phone 905-892-2607 x202.

Home fire sprinklers protect lives and property against fires

Home sprinkler systems respond quickly to reduce heat, flames, and smoke from a fire, giving families valuable time to get to safety.

• In Ontario, on average, 26 people die in residential fires annually. In reported home fires, the risk of dying decreases by 80 percent when sprinklers are present
• People in homes with sprinklers are protected against significant property loss - sprinklers reduce the average property loss by 74 per cent per fire
• Any resulting water damage from the sprinkler is significantly less than damage caused by water from fire-fighting hose lines. On average, home fire sprinkler systems use about eight times less water than fire hoses

Home fire sprinklers are affordable.

The Fire Protection Research Foundation recently issued the Home Fire Sprinkler Cost Assessment report, which demonstrated that the cost of installing home fire sprinklers averages US$1.61 per square foot for new construction.

• Many people pay similar amounts for upgrades such as carpeting, stone driveways or whirlpool baths
• Homes with fire sprinklers are selling faster than those without fire sprinkler systems
• Installation of home sprinklers can help residents cut homeowner insurance premiums and help qualify homes for tax rebates

Home fire sprinklers act independently from smoke alarms.

Each individual sprinkler is designed and calibrated to go off when it senses a significant heat change.

• Home fire sprinklers do not operate in response to smoke, burned toast, cooking vapours, steam or an activating smoke alarm
• Only the sprinkler closest to the fire will activate, spraying water directly on the fire
• Roughly 90 percent of the time, just one sprinkler operates

Ontario Building Code

In Ontario, legislators recognize the effectiveness of sprinklers and as a result, the Building Code has been amended in 2010 to make sprinkler installation in multi residential buildings over three stories mandatory. Home fire sprinklers provide added protection from fire and peace of mind.

Ask your builder about installing sprinklers in your home. More information on home fire sprinklers can be found from the National Fire Protection Association at www.firesprinklerinitiative.org and from the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition at www.homefiresprinkler.org

Home fires kill eight Canadians a week.  While these fires represent 40 per cent of all types of fires, they are responsible for 73 per cent of fire deaths. Most of these deaths are preventable by taking a few precautions.

Smoke alarms are required in each residential dwelling unit as follows: at least one outside the bedroom(s) and at least one on each level of your home - including split levels (2015 Ontario Fire Code, Division B Section 2.13).

What alarm should I choose?

• Power source:  Either battery operated or hard-wired is acceptable (existing hard-wired alarms cannot be replaced with only battery operated alarms).  You may want to have a battery backup for electrically powered alarms in case of power failure.
• Technology:  Smoke alarms can be purchased with either ionization or photo-electric technology.
  • Photo-electric alarms may be quicker at detecting slow-smouldering fires - great for use near or in a kitchen so there are less false alarms. 
  • Ionization alarms may respond slightly faster to flaming-type fires - less expensive and good for all areas. 
  • Combination carbon monoxide and smoke alarms are great for outside sleeping areas because carbon monoxide alarms are also required outside sleeping areas if fuel-fired appliances (natural gas / propane furnace, hot water tank, fireplace, etc.) are installed in your home (learn more about carbon monoxide alarms).
• Hush feature : Smoke alarms with a hush button permit the alarm to be temporarily silenced without disconnecting the power source.

Installation requirements

One on each storey of the home as well as outside sleeping areas.

• Install smoke alarms on the ceiling or on the wall close to the ceiling as smoke rises.
• Follow the manufacturer's instructions.
• Avoid putting smoke alarms too close to bathrooms, windows, ceiling fans, and heating and cooking appliances.

Follow these tips from Fire Prevention Canada to help protect you and your family from home fires.

MONTHLY

• Test your alarm: Press the button on your smoke alarm and keep it pressed down.  The alarm should sound.
• If your alarm has no button, it is outdated and must be replaced.
• Another way to test the alarm is by holding an extinguished candle under it.  The alarm should sound within 20 seconds.
• Let air circulate to get rid of the smoke and allow the alarm to turn off.

EVERY 6 MONTHS

• Change the batteries in all smoke alarms twice a year (for example, when you change your clocks in the fall and spring).

EVERY 2 YEARS

• Take the cover off and clean it with a damp cloth.
• Carefully vacuum the inside of the alarm.
• Put the cover back and make sure the alarm is working.

EVERY 10 YEARS

• Replace your smoke alarm.  Some models last as little as 5 years.

If the smoke alarm is not working

• Replace the battery (for battery operated).
• Check fuses and circuit-breakers, or call an electrician (for hard-wired alarms).  There may be an electrical problem in your home.
• If these steps do not help, the alarm may be defective.  Replace it immediately.
• When you take out the alarm battery, always replace it with another one immediately.

Fire safety also depends on every member of the household knowing what to do and on having an escape plan.  If you do not have an emergency plan, take a few minutes to create one today.

These tips have been brought to you by Public Safety Canada in cooperation with the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, with information provided by Fire Prevention Canada.

Improperly installed and maintained wood stoves and fireplaces can lead to dangerous conditions putting your family and neighbours at risk. When purchasing a new wood stove or fireplace insert, look for the mark of an accredited certification agency ensuring the product has been tested and meets established safety standards.

Check with the Building Department and obtain the necessary permits prior to installing a wood stove, fireplace insert, or chimney. Always follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.

The Ontario Fire Code requires homeowners ensure their home heating appliances and chimneys are safe; this requires periodic inspections and maintenance. 

Check your chimney and clear any obstructions at the start of the heating season, and make sure damper controls work properly, keeping smoke and toxic gases from building up inside the house. Check chimneys and flue pipes often for creosote and soot build-up and clean to prevent a chimney fire. Your chimney may have problems you can't see. If in doubt, consult a WETT (Wood Energy Technical Training) certified chimney sweep. This requires periodic inspections and maintenance.

Maintain an appropriate chimney cap on top of your chimney to protect against damage from rain or snow. Spark screens should be inspected regularly to make sure smoke can vent properly.

Ensure all joints in flue pipes are securely fastened with at least 3 screws. Where flue pipes are joined together, the small (crimped) end should point toward the appliance.

Keep combustible materials a safe distance away from wood stoves and fireplaces. Always use a properly fitting screen for your fireplace. Consult a WETT certified chimney sweep if walls get too hot.

Burn properly dried well-seasoned wood to reduce the risk of excessive creosote build-up from inefficient burning or smouldering fires. Store wood outdoors, stacked in an open area or shed away from the house or deck to provide good airflow that will assist drying.
Allow ashes to cool fully before cleaning them from your fireplace or wood stove. Use only metal, non-combustible containers to remove ashes from the appliance. Take them outside immediately and store well away from buildings on a non-combustible surface.

All homes with fuel-fired appliances should have a carbon monoxide (CO) alarm.

Recreational Open Air Burning (camp fires)

For recreational open air burns (e.g. backyard campfires), a written permit is required. To obtain a permit, set up the proposed burn pit as per the guidelines below. Contact the Fire Department at 905-892-2607 x 201 or email us with your name, phone number and address. An inspector will come by and, if the burn pit is approved, you will be asked to pay $50. 

For renewals, stop by Station 1 located at 177 Highway 20 West during office hours (Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.). A renewal cost of $25 per calendar year is applicable.

The burn permit will be valid from the date of issue until the end of the calendar year.

At no time is the burning allowed of household waste, construction debris, plastic, rubber, or any other product which may damage the air, ground, or water quality of the community. 

• Get a permit prior to any burning
• Burn only between 12:00 noon until 24:00 Midnight.
• Your pit can be no larger than 0.6 m x 0.6 m x 0.6 m (2 ft x 2 ft x 2 ft)
• Ensure your fire pit is 3 meters (10 ft) from combustible materials (structures, trees, etc.)
• Your fire pit must be 4 meters (13 ft) from property boundaries
• Ensure overhead of the fire pit is clear
• Consider the wind direction when you light your fire
• Consider the impact on your neighbours when you burn
• Do not burn in winds over 20 kph
• Do not burn during a smog alert
• Do not burn any household waste including plastics or paper products, burn clean dry wood only
• Do not create a noxious environment with your burning practices

Non Recreational Open Air Burning

Farmers wishing to burn fruit tree clippings and brush must follow the non-recreational open air burning guidelines.

• The Fire Department must be notified and permission received prior to any open air burning (the Fire Department then notifies our dispatch center, to prevent unnecessary equipment response)
• Burning may not commence until one hour after sunrise and be completely extinguished one hour before sunset
• Wind speeds must be under 20 kmh and smoke must not travel in the direction of neighbours
• Do not use any accelerant
• Burn piles may not exceed 3 m x 3 m (10 ft x 10 ft) in size
• The burn pile must be 60 m (200 ft) from adjoining buildings, highways, roads, and wooded areas
• Ensure overhead of the pile is clear
• There must be a responsible person in attendance at all times during burning
• There must be some means immediately available (i.e. water) to extinguish the fire if conditions change.

Important Notice

Failure to adhere to any of the above noted guidelines or failure to receive approval for fires will result in rescinded or no future approval to burn and possibly prosecution under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.

Consumer Fireworks

Before you decide to purchase and use fireworks, ensure you know the laws, know your space, and read all instructions. There are only a few days a year that you are allowed to use fireworks in the Town of Pelham, and there is usually a public display of fireworks scheduled, so why not leave it up to the professionals?

Know the Laws

• Aside from federal laws, the Town of Pelham has a fireworks by-law.
• Consumer fireworks may only be used on Victoria Day, Canada Day - July 1, and Independence Day - July 4.
• You must be at least 18 years old to buy, store, and use consumer fireworks.
• Fireworks must be set off at least 50 meters away from woodlands, gas stations, nursing/retirement homes, boarding kennels or stables, churches, schools, and daycares.
• Fireworks must be set off at least 10 meters from buildings, RV's, tents, or trailers.
• Fireworks may not be set off in an area with undergrowth, dry grass, or flammable or combustible substances.
• Leftover fireworks shall be collected immediately and disposed of properly.
• Do not use any damaged fireworks.
• Never set off fireworks inside.

At home, make sure fireworks are stored in a secure manner, inaccessible to curious children, and at a safe distance from flammable substances.

Read all Instructions

Refer to the safety instructions on the fireworks label for minimum stand-off distances for you and spectators. Make sure you look up and ensure there are no overhead obstructions in range of your fireworks. Know how your fireworks will act and work in your space. Once they are lit they can't be turned off! Always have a charged hose or a bucket of water close by.

Always supervise children around sparklers. Many people consider sparklers to be "child safe" but they burn at very high temperatures and can easily ignite clothing or cause injury. Before starting your show, ensure that the wind is blowing away from any spectators.

After the show is over, dispose of fireworks packaging in a safe manner. Ensure there are no smouldering remnants that could cause a fire. Enjoy the show.

Display Fireworks

It is always safer to leave the setting off of fireworks up to the professionals! The manufacturing, selling, storage and setting off of fireworks within the Town of Pelham are subject to by-law 2951 (2008). High hazard (display) fireworks may only be set off by certified pyro-technicians with a permit to do so within the town. To obtain a permit, contact the Pelham Fire Department. Below are downloadable copies of the application forms. The permit fee is $100.

• Application For The Setting Off And Display Of Fireworks
• Application For The Sale And Storage Of Fireworks

Pelham Fire Services responds to numerous emergencies each year involving extricating drivers and passengers from vehicles. Often, there are serious injuries, and before a victim can be removed, firefighters must use specialized tools and techniques to remove parts of the vehicle from around the victim.

Auto extrication is a very specialized field. With an increased use of lightweight vehicle components, airbags, computer controlled security, and alternate fuel/hybrid systems, it is even more important that firefighters are up to date and informed of changes in vehicle designs and extrication techniques.

As part of Pelham Fire Services' training program, firefighters take part in training sessions using scrap vehicles, usually donated or obtained from a recycler. Pelham Fire Services offers a program facilitating the donation of scrap vehicles directly to the Fire Service for training purposes.

To donate a vehicle to the program, please register by calling 905-892-2607 x201.

We appreciate your donation to help our firefighters learn and practice valuable skills to help serve our community.

Donation Process:
The following information will be required to make a vehicle donation:

• owner's name, phone number, mailing address, and the location of the vehicle
• year, make, model, colour, and vehicle identification number (VIN#) 

Once the vehicle is registered for the program, your contact information will be shared with a vehicle recycling partner. Within 48 hours, one of our partners will call you to make an appointment to pick up the vehicle. This is done at no cost to the owner. Please ensure that your licence plates and any personal belongings are removed from the vehicle prior to pick-up.

At the time of pick-up, the following is required:

• You must show a current photo ID (driver's licence, government ID, or passport) to verify your identity.
• Your vehicle registration must be signed by the owner and handed to our vehicle recycling partner. For a multiple ownership vehicle, please ensure that all persons named von the vehicle registration have signed it. Please note the vehicle permit portion of your Ontario ownership/registration is on the left-hand side. The right-hand side of your registration, known as the plate permit, should stay with your licence plates (these should be removed prior to pick-up).

Juvenile Fires Setters Program (Tapp-C)

If your child is involved in fire-play or fire setting, you are not alone. Many children have a fascination with fire. It is important to understand that while curiosity about fire is natural, fire-play can be dangerous. In fact, fire is a leading cause of death among children in the home. Unfortunately, many youngsters start the very fires that injure or kill themselves or others.

The principal reason most children play with fire is out of curiosity. Troubled children may act out their anger or frustration by setting fires. Abused children may cry for help. Older children may set fires due to peer pressure, or as a part of gang activity.

Fire setting presents an enormous risk to children, their families and the community. Fire involvement can be a sign of other problems in a child's life. It can start at any age. Fire-play can start out small and progress to larger and more serious fires that threaten the safety of the child and the family. It is important that you deal with any fire involvement immediately.

Fires are the number-one cause of death at home for children under six. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that two of every five of those children killed in home fires die in fires started by themselves or other young children. More than one out of every eight fatal structure fires is started by a child under the age of 15 years.

The Pelham Fire Department is involved with the TAPP-C program which is designed to deal with a growing trend in juvenile fire setting and fire play. The program is administered through the Fire Prevention Office by Fire Service Personnel who are trained in intervention techniques specific to juvenile fire setting.

TAPP-C is a program that brings together fire service and counseling professionals to help families deal effectively with children and teens involved in fire-play. The fire service educates children and their families about fire, and helps in the development of good fire safety practices. Counseling professionals assess the risk of continued fire involvement and help children and their families deal with the issues that may contribute to the fire setting behaviour. TAPP-C is free of charge and is available to children from 2-17 years of age.

What is Fire-play?

• Playing with matches or lighters
• Playing with the toaster, stove or furnace
• Burning items such as toys, paper or garbage
• Setting fire to destroy something or hurt someone

Things to Watch For:

If you notice any of the following, your child may be involved in fire-play:

• Matches or lighters go missing
• Matches or lighters are found among your child's belongings
• There are burn marks on household items or your child's clothing or possessions
• Your child is extremely interested in fire

You can help to protect your child and family from fire by following these fire safety tips:

• Make sure that young children are supervised at all times.
• Keep matches and lighters locked away where children cannot get them.
• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside sleeping areas. Test them regularly
• Develop and practice a home fire escape plan