Community Centre 55 received a donation of more than 800 smoke alarms for distribution to local families in need during this month’s Share a Christmas campaign.
The donation was made by Toronto Fire Services and Enbridge Gas Inc. at Main Street’s Toronto Fire Hall 226 on Thursday, Dec. 5.
The alarms are combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms, and the 810 donated Kidde 10-year “worry free’’ units have a total retail value of close to $50,000.
Debbie Visconti, executive director of Community Centre 55, said the alarms make an important addition to the Share a Christmas holiday hampers distributed to families in the east Toronto area as part of Share a Christmas.
“We are thrilled to be able to provide the community with these alarms to improve safety,” she said.
Enbridge Gas has been involved in providing funding for the donation of combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms in communities across Ontario for the past 10 years as part of the Project Zero initiative.
Project Zero provides the alarms to fire departments in cities across the province to distribute to communities and residents at risk of not having adequate smoke/carbon monoxide alarm protection.
On hand for the presentation on Thursday were Tracey Teed Martin of Enbridge Gas, Toronto Fire Services’ Deputy Chief Larry Cocco, John Doucet of the Ontario Fires Marshal and Emergency Management, and Community Centre 55’s Visconti.
Cocco pointed out that firefighters are far too familiar with the consequences of undetected fires and carbon monoxide leaks.
“There have been 11 fire deaths in Toronto this year, and in two of them there were no working alarms,” he said.
Teed Martin highlighted the dangers of carbon monoxide.
“Carbon monoxide is known as the silent killer for a reason, and we have proof that alarms save lives,” she said in a release. “The best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and alarms are a critical second line of defence to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning.”
For more information on Community Centre 55’s Share a Christmas campaign, please visit www.centre55.com
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