Prevention & Public Education

Home Fire and Life Safety Program

This program is organized and managed by the Fire Prevention office. This mandated program operates annually as a service to the community to ensure that residents have the proper quantity of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed and operating in their homes. The Department’s goal is to ensure that every dwelling unit in the community has working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and that they are tested and maintained in working condition. As part of the program, fire personnel visit residents in their homes to provide education on smoke and carbon monoxide alarm placement, functionality and best maintenance practices.

To date there have been no Provincial Offence Certificates issued, and all violations are typically corrected while fire personnel are present to assist. Upon finding a faulty or non-working smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm, fire personnel offer to provide the occupant with a battery operated alarm or replacement battery at cost.

Please remember failure to comply with Fire Code requirements can result in provincial offences violation and may include other charges under the Ontario Fire Code.

Emergency Siren Test

The emergency siren is tested in the spring and fall of every year, around the time clocks are changed. The Arnprior Fire Department makes use of the siren test to serve as a reminder for all Town residents as well as landlords and tenants of rental buildings to test residential smoke alarms and replace batteries as needed. Anyone with a Carbon Monoxide detector, which is battery operated or contains a battery for back-up should consider replacing those batteries as well.

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Inspections

Pursuant to sentence 11 of Part III of the Fire Protection and Prevention Act 1997, the Fire Chief of the municipality and members of the Fire Prevention Office are assistants to the Fire Marshal and as such are authorized to enter and inspect any building or premises in the municipality of Arnprior for the purposes of assessing fire safety. Consequently, inspections shall be conducted upon request or complaint and at frequencies as outlined in the Municipal Fire Prevention Policy.

Request Inspection:

• A comprehensive fire safety inspection conducted upon the request of the building owner.

Complaint Inspection:

• A comprehensive fire safety inspection conducted upon receipt of a valid complaint regarding the fire and life safety conditions of the affected occupancy.

Maintenance Inspection:

• A standardized inspection focused on a specified life safety component to ensure it is maintained in such condition that it may be continuously utilized as per its original design for its intended purpose with respect to fire safety.

Comprehensive Inspection:

• An inspection including or dealing with all or nearly all elements or aspects of building fire safety.

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Public Education

The Arnprior Fire Department works with the community to teach fire safety behaviors designed to help prevent accidental fires and aid in the event of an emergency.  Offerings include fire and life safety education programs for children and adults which can be customized to meet the requirements of any group. The following services are available to the public by appointment. Contact the Fire Prevention Office of the Arnprior Fire Department.

• General Fire Safety (Home/Workplace)
• Portable Fire Extinguisher Use (classroom and/or practical training)
• Fire Safety Inspections
• Classroom Fire Safety Visits with Sparky the Fire Dog
• Fire Safety Education for Seniors
• Fire Drill Assessments
• Assistance with Smoke Alarm/Carbon Monoxide Detector Placement and Testing
• Fire Station Tours
• Special Event Presentation & Equipment Display

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Child Car Seat Education

Child Car Seat Information
Child Car Seat Checklist
Stage 1 – Rear Facing Car Seats
Stage 2 – Forward Facing Car Seats
Stage 3 – Booster Seats
Stage 4 – Seatbelts

Emergency Preparedness

Making a Family Emergency Plan

Get Prepared

Your Emergency Preparedness Guide

Emergency Preparedness Guide for People with Disabilities and Special Needs

Why 72 hours?

Experience has shown that it can take 72 hours or more to mobilize a significant relief effort during an emergency. The 72 hour preparedness message is commonly used across North America by first responders (fire, police, and paramedics), governments and relief organizations. Canadians are encouraged to be prepared to cope on their own for at least the first 72 hours – that’s 3 days – of an emergency. This lets emergency workers focus on people in urgent need. To support their efforts, the rest of us need to be prepared to look after ourselves.

Why prepare your family?

While governments at all levels are working hard to keep Canada safe, individuals also have an important role to play in emergency preparedness. By being prepared to take care of yourself, you allow community resources to be used more effectively during an emergency – and you help keep your own family safe too. Simply put, emergency preparedness begins at home.

Start today. Prepare your emergency kit. Prepare your family – so in the case of a major emergency like a flood or blackout – you are ready to take care of yourself and your loved ones for at least 72 hours.

Basic Emergency Kit

The key is to make sure items are organized, easy to find and easy to carry (in a suitcase with wheels or in a backpack) in case you need to evacuate your home. Whatever you do, don’t wait for a disaster to happen.

• Easy to carry – think of ways that you can pack your emergency kit so that you and those on your emergency plan can easily take the items with you, if necessary.
• Water – two litres of water per person per day (Include small bottles that can be carried easily in case of an evacuation order)
• Food – that won’t spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods (remember to replace the food and water once a year)
• Manual can opener
• Flashlight and batteries
• Battery–powered or wind–up radio (and extra batteries)
• First aid kit
• Special needs items – prescription medications, infant formula or equipment for people with disabilities
• Extra keys – for your car and house
• Cash – include smaller bills, such as $10 bills (travellers cheques are also useful) and change for payphones
• Emergency plan – include a copy of it and ensure it contains in–town and out–of–town contact information

Recommended Additional Items

The basic emergency kit will help you get through the first 72 hours of an emergency. In addition to this kit, we recommend you also have the following additional emergency supplies. Then you will be well equipped for even the worst emergency situations.

• Two additional litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning
• Candles and matches or lighter (place in sturdy containers and do not burn unattended)
• Change of clothing and footwear for each household member
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each household member
• Toiletries
• Hand sanitizer
• Toilet paper
• Utensils
• Garbage bags
• Household chlorine bleach or water purifying tablets
• Basic tools (hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, work gloves, pocket knife)
• Small fuel-operated stove and fuel
• Whistle (to attract attention)
• Duct tape

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Hoarding and Fire Safety

Many fire departments are experiencing serious fires, injuries, and deaths as the result of compulsive hoarding behavior. The excessive accumulation of materials in homes poses a significant threat to firefighters fighting fires and responding to other emergencies in these homes and to residents and neighbors. Often, the local fire department will be contacted to help deal with this serious issue. Since studies suggest that between three and five percent of the population are compulsive hoarders, fire departments must become familiar with this issue and how to effectively handle it.

What is hoarding?

Hoarding is defined as collecting or keeping large amounts of various items in the home due to strong urges to save them or distress experienced when discarding them. Many rooms in the home are so filled with possessions that residents can no longer use the rooms as designed. The home is so overloaded with things that everyday living is compromised.

Why do people become hoarders?

Hoarding is a mental disorder that can be genetic in nature, triggered by traumatic events, or a symptom of another disorder, such as depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, or dementia. Studies have found that hoarding usually begins in early adolescence and gets worse as a person ages. It is more common among older adults.

Why is hoarding an issue for the fire service?

• Hoarding can be a fire hazard. Many occupants die in fires in these homes. Often, blocked exits prevent escape from the home. In addition, many people who are hoarding are injured when they trip over things or when materials fall on them.
• Responding firefighters can be put at risk due to obstructed exits, falling objects, and excessive fire loading that can lead to collapse. Hoarding makes fighting fires and searching for occupants far more difficult.
• Those living adjacent to an occupied structure can be quickly affected when a fire occurs, due to excessive smoke and fire conditions.

Is there help available?

Yes! If you or someone you know may be at risk due to hoarding contact the central intake line for Community Mental Health Services at 1-800-991-7711

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