'Cindy’s Law' fire extinguisher in cars campaign gets MPP's attention
Elgin Middlesex London MPP Rob Flack brought attention to a campaign that could help save lives on Ontario roads in the future.
Flack made a member’s statement at Queen’s Park on Thursday where he recognized the “Extinguishers for Cindy” campaign.
“This tragic incident, an accident, was the result in a campaign now called ‘Extinguishers for Cindy’ and they’re calling for Cindy’s Law to be established in this province.”
Named after Cindy Devine, who was killed in a car fire two years ago, the campaign pushes for the mandate of a fire extinguisher in every vehicle in Ontario.
Cindy’s husband Richard Devine, was on hand in Toronto for the reading. He said it’s an important first step.
“Definitely don’t want to have anybody else go through what my family’s gone through, new friends I’ve made, what they’ve gone through, and it’s just… it’s not worth it.”
Cindy’s long time friend, Tony Bendel started the campaign. He was also on had for the formal reading Thursday.
“So already commercial vehicles have them, school buses have them, recreational boats do have to have them, so why do we not have them in automobiles,” he questioned.
Cindy Devine, 35, was killed on Oct. 2, 2020 when the car she was driving was involved in a collision on Highbury Avenue south of London.
Her car caught fire before fire crews arrived.
Among those first on scene was Londoner Bob Reid, who also attended the Queens Park session.
After being involved in the October 2020 tragedy, he believes fire extinguishers in cars could save lives.
“As a human being we want to be given the opportunity to try,” he explained. “With no fire extinguisher, there’s no try.”
The idea of having a fire extinguisher in every vehicle in the province, utilized by lay people, is not without risk according to one fire educator.
“You definitely need to know how to use it, and you also need to know the risks,” said Fire Chief Bill Hunter of the Perth East and West Perth fire departments.
Hunter said he supports the idea, but he believes it’s important to have an educational component for fire extinguishers.
He said car fires have a host of dangers that are not always present in structure fires.
“Firefighters are trained in how to approach a vehicle fire, so that we’re not putting ourselves in a position to being injured by flying debris, or anything else that’s coming out of the car, let alone all the toxic smoke that’s coming off a car. Lot of plastics and fuels that can burn as well.”
In the meantime, Richard Devine and his supporters say they’ll be watching the bill closely as it moves through the legislative process, and they’ll keep up their efforts until Cindy’s Law becomes reality
“Fire extinguisher can save a life- do it,” said Richard.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
BREAKING Police will not be charged in death of Indigenous man in B.C., mother says
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021, according to the man's mother.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.