What Barrie firefighters are learning about you during their ongoing safety blitz
They’re still into the early days of their inaugural door-to-door safety campaign, but Barrie firefighters are already learning a good deal about the residents they serve.
Barrie Fire and Emergency Service staff have visited more than 3,000 homes since launching the blitz in May. Much of the data they’ve collected through at-the-door surveys has helped support the department’s hypothesis that many residents simply do not know their smoke alarms expire.
“We knew the rate of compliance was low,” Deputy Chief Jeff Weber said. “Now that we’re actually seeing that, we can start to direct our programs (accordingly).”
Barrie Fire estimates 70 per cent of residential properties in the city do not meet current fire safety rules.
The campaign will run until Fire Prevention Week in October; crews will visit about 11,500 homes by that time. Barrie Fire plans to make this an annual blitz and expects crews will visit every home in the city within the next few years.
This year, firefighters will target neighbourhoods with homes primarily built between eight and 18 years ago. Those properties should have smoke alarms on every floor.
“Over a number of years of doing this, we will get to see a really dynamic view of what our city looks like, from a fire safety perspective,” Weber said. “People are aware they have smoke alarms. They are aware they are interconnected. But they are not aware they expire.”
Smoke alarms expire within 10 years of the date they were manufactured. If purchased and installed in 2006 or later, an expiry date will be visible on the alarm.
About 15 per cent of survey respondents are tenants. Most respondents also say they test their alarms regularly.
Surprisingly, firefighters are running into a language barrier at several homes, Weber said.
“That makes it difficult to communicate our public safety message,” he said. “We need to start looking at other avenues for providing that public safety message.”
The department may need to consider translating its literature into languages other than French and English, and getting specialized community groups to assist in the dissemination of fire safety information, he said.
For more information on the campaign, visit .