Safety and Prevention

If there is a fire in your home or workplace. Get out, stay out and dial 9-1-1 from a safe spot. Know where your meeting place is before the fire occurs. Make an escape plan and practice it today.

If there is a fire in your home:

• Alert any other family members in the house;
• Leave the home by the nearest exit and close the door but do not lock it;
• Meet your family members in your pre-determined safe location;
• Dial 9-1-1 from a safe location;
• Do not re-enter the building;
• Stay a safe distance from the building.

If there is a fire in your apartment:

• Alert others;
• Leave the apartment and close the door but do not lock it;
• Pull the fire alarm at the exit to the stairs or from the building;
• Dial 9-1-1 from a safe location;
• Do not use the elevator;
• Do not re-enter the building;
• Stay a safe distance from the building.

If you hear the fire alarm, stop what you are doing and leave the building. If you encounter smoke in the stairs try the other stairwell. If there is smoke in both stairwells seek out a safe spot in apartment and close the door behind you. Seal the cracks around the door and dial 9-1-1 to let us know where you are.

If you are unable to use the stairs and the fire is not in your unit. Stay in your apartment. Leave your door and windows closed and dial 9-1-1 to let us know your location.

• Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period of time, turn off the stove.
• Keep anything that can catch fire – potholders, oven mitts, wooden utensils, paper or plastic bags – away from your stovetop.
• Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves when cooking. Loose clothing can dangle onto stove burners and catch fire.
• Always keep an oven mitt and lid handy. If a small fire starts in a pan on the stove, put on the oven mitt and smother the flames by carefully sliding the lid over the pan. Turn off the burner. Do not remove the lid until it is completely cool.

• Install and maintain carbon monoxide alarms to avoid the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Maintain heating equipment and chimneys by having them cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
• Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable space heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.

• Keep lamps, light fixtures, and light bulbs away from anything that can burn, such as lamp shades, bedding, curtains, and clothing.
• Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords.
• Use extension cords for temporary wiring only. Consider having additional circuits or receptacles added by a qualified electrician.
• Homes with young children should have tamper-resistant electrical receptacles.
• Call a qualified electrician or landlord if you have recurring problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers, discoloured or warm wall outlets, flickering lights or a burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance.

CO is known as the silent killer because it is an invisible, tasteless, and odourless gas that can be deadly. CO is produced when fuels such as propane, gasoline, natural gas, heating oil, or wood do not burn completely in fuel-burning appliances and devices such as furnaces, gas or wood fireplaces, hot water heaters, stoves, barbeques, portable fuel-burning heaters and generators and vehicles.

How can you prevent CO in your home?

• Ensure fuel-burning appliances, chimneys and vents are cleaned and inspected annually.
• Check that all outside appliance vents are not blocked.
• Gas and charcoal barbeques should only be used outside, away from all doors, windows, vents, and other building openings. Never use barbeques inside garages, even if the garage doors are open.
• Portable fuel-burning generators should only be used outdoors in well-ventilated areas away from windows, doors, vents and other building openings.
• Ensure all portable fuel-burning heaters are vented properly, according to manufacturer’s instructions.
• Never use the stove or oven to heat your home.
• Open the flue before using a fireplace for adequate ventilation.
• Never run a vehicle or other fueled engine or motor inside a garage, even if the garage doors are open. Always remove a vehicle from the garage immediately after starting it.

Know the symptoms of CO

Exposure to CO can cause flu-like symptoms such as headaches, nausea, dizziness, as well as confusion, drowsiness, loss of consciousness and death. If your CO alarm sounds, and you or other occupants suffer from symptoms of CO poisoning, get everyone out of the home immediately. Then call 9-1-1 or your local emergency services number from outside the building. If your CO alarm sounds and no one is suffering from symptoms of CO poisoning, check to see if the battery needs replacing, or the alarm has reached its "end-of-life" before calling 9-1-1.

Know the sound of your CO alarm

Your CO alarm sounds different than your smoke alarm. Test both alarms monthly and make sure everyone in your home knows the difference between the two alarm sounds.

Don’t be confused by the sound of your CO alarm’s low-battery warning. Follow your CO alarm manufacturer’s instructions so you know the difference between the low-battery warning, the “end-of-life” warning, and the alarm alerting you to the presence of CO in your home.

For more CO safety tips, visit: NFPA toolkit - Keeping Your Community Safe with Carbon Monoxide Alarms

The fire prevention division conducts hundreds of inspections each year, including: 

• Vulnerable occupancies (hospital, nursing homes, care facilities)
• Schools
• Industry
• Single family homes, apartment buildings, hotels/motels
• Stores
• Offices
• Churches
• Service stations

If you would like to have your home or workplace inspected, contact the Fire Inspection Division at 519-376-2512.

The Ontario Fire Code and Ontario Building Code are the minimum standards in Ontario for existing buildings or new construction

Fire Prevention Education & Training

The Owen Sound Fire and Emergency Services Fire Prevention Division is dedicated to keeping our community safe through proactive education and hands-on training. Each year, our team delivers a variety of fire safety sessions across the city — helping residents, students, and staff build the knowledge and confidence to prevent fires before they start.

We regularly host educational programs in:

🏫 Schools – teaching students how to stay safe at home and in the classroom

🏥 Nursing Homes – supporting staff and residents with fire prevention awareness and evacuation planning

🏢 Apartment Buildings – promoting safety in multi-residential settings

🚒 TAPP-C Sessions – offering specialized fire safety education for youth through the Youth Fire Setter Intervention Program

Our team also provides fire extinguisher training, giving participants the chance to learn proper handling techniques and gain practical experience using real extinguishers.

Whether you’re interested in arranging a station tour or would like our team to visit your home, workplace, or community group, we’d be happy to help.

📞 Contact us to schedule your session or learn more: Matt Given, Fire Prevention Officer, by phone 519-376-2512 ext. 2233 or by email mgiven@owensound.ca