'We are not fooling around': Local fire department charging smoke detector violators
The chief of the St. Marys Fire Department is through with warnings about smoke detectors.
Chief Richard Anderson’s department is now laying fines against those who don’t comply.
“It’s to get the message out that as a fire department, we are not fooling around. We have to take this seriously and so do people.”
The move follows a rash of serious house fires -- five in just a four-month period.
Normally St. Marys, a town of 7,200, expects one to two house fires a year.
“To have that many fires in that short period of time was quite alarming.”
In one case, a garage is all that remains of a blaze that destroyed a family home on Queen St. E.
Anderson says it was seconds away from being a devastating loss.
“That family did not have smoke alarms - at all - in that house. And the main occupant, only by chance when he went to the bathroom, discovered that his living room was on fire. And he quickly got his wife and son out of the house.”
In the aftermath, all were thankful for the lives saved.
But with no safeguards in place to prevent what could have been a tragedy, Anderson made a decision.
“We charged the homeowner after they had a major loss like that. Now, we feel bad; we have a heart, but at the same time, we had to get the point across that residents cannot operate like this. They have to have those smoke alarms.”
Anderson says it to not only protect residents but also the firefighters who respond to calls.
That’s why he says the charges will continue.
The most recent count was just days ago against a Wellington St. S. resident.
Anderson’s team laid a $360 fine after making a startling discovery, “The actual smoke alarms were disconnected.”
The chief says it’s not all that uncommon.
“We find that occupants will disconnect them because of the chirping and stuff like that, with the intention maybe I’m going to get another one, and then it kind of goes by the wayside, and they forget about it."
Which is why Anderson hopes people won’t forget his department is now frequently forgoing warnings for charges.
“It’s to get the message out that as a fire department, we are not fooling around. We have to take this seriously and so do people."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
'A huge difference': These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
OPINION No reunion between Prince Harry and the King signifies a setback for royal unity
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
How Drake and Kendrick Lamar's rap beef escalated within weeks
A long-simmering feud between hip-hop superstars Drake and Kendrick Lamar reached a boiling point in recent days as the pair traded increasingly personal insults on a succession of diss tracks. Here’s a quick overview of what’s behind the ongoing beef.
NEW For their protection, immigrants critical of China and India call for speedy passage of Canada's foreign interference legislation
Canadian immigrants threatened by hostile regimes are urging parliamentarians to quickly pass the 'Countering Foreign Interference Act' so they can feel safe living in their adopted home.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Spanish prosecutors recommend 2nd investigation into Shakira's taxes be thrown out
Spanish state prosecutors recommended Wednesday that an investigating judge shelve a probe into another alleged case of tax fraud by pop star Shakira.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.