A call to check your fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on daylight saving.
Windsor Fire and Rescue Services are reminding the public the importance of changing the batteries in your fire alarms and CO devices as part of Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week.
The awareness week runs from November 1 to November 7.
Windsor Fire is asking the public to recognize the health risks and danger CO poses and offering tips, suggestions, and advice on how to protect your family and stay safe.
John Smith, Fire Prevention Officer with Windsor Fire, has tips for this daylight saving weekend.
"They should make sure they have a CO detector installed outside the sleeping areas in your home, which is usually outside in the hallway. Test your CO detector to make sure it works, because this is the time change weekend, change the batteries in the CO detector if it has one, and also a reminder to check the smoke alarm in your house and change that battery also."
He says 2024 marks the 10th year for this awareness week.
"It's when the fire departments are urging residents to protect their families from the dangers that carbon monoxide - if present in a home - can cause to the persons inside the house."
Smith says residents need to be aware of the danger of CO.
"So carbon monoxide is a gas, and because it's a gas it's colourless, odourless, and tasteless. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it. It can also cause sudden death inhaled. This is where it got its nickname 'the silent killer'."
He adds that it's important that residents understand the symptoms of exposure to CO, which can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, breathlessness, collapse, loss of consciousness, and death.
By law in Ontario, CO alarms are required to be installed outside all sleeping areas of homes with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace, or attached garage.
