September 25, 2025

Test Your Smoke Alarm Day September 28

Every year on September 28, communities across Ontario are called to take part in Test Your Smoke Alarm Day (TYSAD), a critical initiative designed to protect Canadians from the dangers of home fires. With Ontario fire-related fatalities in 2025 already exceeding the total number recorded in all of 2024, this year’s TYSAD is especially important. To support this impactful initiative, Kidde, a trusted leader in fire safety for more than 100 years, has partnered with the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (OFMPFSC) to donate over $350,000 worth of smoke alarms to fire departments across the province, including Arran-Elderslie Fire & Emergency Services. This contribution is a first-of-its-kind addition to Test Your Smoke Alarm Day, bringing a powerful new dimension to the province-wide initiative. While fire-related deaths continue to rise, many households remain dangerously unprepared.

According to the OFMPFSC, reports from fatal fires frequently reveal the absence of working smoke alarms;

A recent Kidde survey revealed that 22% of Canadians didn’t know that smoke alarms expire;

And only 6% per cent of Canadians test their smoke alarm at the correct frequency. Here are some tips for fire safety at home:

• Install and maintain smoke and CO alarms: These are your best early warning system. Test them monthly and replace batteries at least once a year.
• Create and practice an escape plan: Everyone in the home should know what to do and where to go in case of a fire.
• Be careful in the kitchen:
    - Turn pot handles away from the stove's edge.
    - Keep children at least 1 meter away from the stove.
    - Never leave cooking unattended.
• Use candles safely:
   - Extinguish them when leaving the room or going to sleep.
   - Keep them away from curtains and other flammable materials.
   - Store matches and lighters safely: Keep them out of children's reach.
• Maintain working electrical systems: Report damaged electrical cords to maintenance and avoid overloading outlets.
• Give space heaters space: Keep them at least one meter away from anything that can burn.

 

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