Montreal firefighters, including students and prevention officers, will be going door-to-door Saturday to remind residents to check their smoke detectors.
It’s an initiative launched every year, as we spring our clocks forward an hour.
This year, Daylight Saving Time comes into effect at 2 a.m. on Sunday, when clocks spring forward to 3 a.m.
Firefighters will be visiting residents in the boroughs of Verdun and Rosemont-La-Petite Patrie on Saturday to offer guidance to residents, but officials say that changing your clocks is a good reminder to all to test their smoke alarms and change the batteries.
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To check whether your detector is working, press the test button for a few seconds. If it’s working an alarm will sound immediately.
Officials also recommend testing the device’s ability to detect smoke by extinguishing a candle next to it. For those whose alarm is connected to a communications centre, firefighters say it is important to check whether the centre received the signal.
Under current city bylaws, every dwelling must be equipped with a working smoke alarm.
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In the case of rental units, the property owner is required to install smoke detectors on each floor of a housing unit and to replace them within 10 years of the manufacturing date.
When it comes to maintaining the devices and changing the batteries, however, it becomes the responsibility of the tenant.
Other important safety tips issued by the fire department include:
- Changing your smoke alarm every 10 years
- Never using a rechargeable battery
- Installing smoke alarms in hallways, near bedrooms and ensuring nothing will block smoke from reaching the detector.