Fire prevention efforts aim to keep everyone safe

Next community outreach in Ottawa takes place in early June

A key duty for firefighters in Ottawa is fire prevention. For more than 20 years, that part of their job has been run through the ‘Wake Up!’ program, operated across the city. 

“The first week of June and last week of September, our crews from every station go on tour in their communities and knock on doors,” says Gwen Lewis, Division Chief of Fire Prevention with the Ottawa Fire Service (OFS). “We want to make sure you have a working smoke and CO (carbon monoxide) alarm.”

The law regarding smoke alarms was first enacted in 2006. In Ontario, the devices must be placed on every storey as well as outside all sleeping areas. The onus is on the homeowner to install the alarms and maintain them. The same rule applies to landlords. 

As of January 2026, Ontario passed a similar law for carbon monoxide detectors, Lewis explains. 

“It affects any building that has an attached garage, fireplace or fuel burning appliance … and that’s a lot of residences in Ottawa.”

For these buildings, the alarms must be placed on every storey and adjacent to all sleeping areas, she says.

Education program

The next fire prevention community outreach takes place in early June. “It’s an education program for our residents,” Lewis explains. 

Questions a homeowner might be asked could include the following:

• Do you have a smoke/CO alarm installed?

• Do you test it regularly?

• Do you replace it every 10 years?

• Do you change the batteries regularly (if battery operated)?

• Do you practice your home escape plan? 

The success of the local program is due to the support of Ottawa firefighters. 

“Firefighters want to engage in education before they have to show up on the worst day of someone’s life,” Lewis says. 

Staying safe

The new laws are designed to do just that; keep Ontarians safe. 

“With CO, you can’t see, smell or taste it. So, you have to be aware of the effects on your body,” such as dizziness or nausea, Lewis explains. “That’s why it’s important to have a CO alarm because you may not recognize these (symptoms), especially when you’re sleeping.”

While it’s the homeowner and building owner’s responsibility to install and maintain the alarms, a tenant also has a role to play. They should notify a landlord of any problem with the devices, whether a dead battery, malfunction, or if it’s in need of replacement. 

“If they don’t get a response, they can follow-up with our fire prevention team,” Lewis says. 

The team can be reached at fireprevention@ottawa.ca.

“We will follow up with the landlord, or building owner, to do that.”

Failure to comply with the laws can result in charges and fines, she says. 

For more information on fire prevention efforts in Ottawa, visit https://ottawa.ca/en/health-and-public-safety/ottawa-fire-services.