Montréal, 03 July 2015 - The Montréal fire department (SIM) invites everyone to come chat with members of its Smoke Alarm Brigade in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Park on Saturday, July 4, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Two fire victims, including a child, will be there to share their stories.

The Smoke Alarm Brigade consists of 45 fire safety students responsible for telling people how important it is to have a smoke alarm and to make sure it is working properly. They will also be visiting homes near the park during the day to inspect their smoke alarms.

Residents of several Montréal boroughs and reconstituted cities in the agglomeration will be visited by the Smoke Alarm Brigade between now and September 15. In 2014, Brigade members supported the department’s fire prevention efforts by knocking on nearly 56,761 doors and inspecting over 26,000 smoke detectors in all. Last year, SIM employees used different means to check over 70,000 homes for working smoke alarms.

“Smoke alarms are indispensable tools, and there should be at least one in every home. They are inexpensive, efficient and save lives,” emphasized Anie Samson, Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee and member responsible for public security and services to residents.

“Everyone is responsible for ensuring that their smoke alarms are working properly. You should check yours monthly, and change the battery twice a year, when you turn the clocks ahead and back,” added François Massé, Director of the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal.

In fact, under the By-law respecting the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal, property owners must install functional smoke alarms on every floor of a dwelling.

For more information on smoke alarms and the requirement to have one and on other applicable by-laws, visit the SIM website.

Event on Saturday, July 4, 2015

Where: Notre-Dame-de-GrâcePark, at Girouard and Sherbrooke Ouest,                 

           Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce Borough

When: 12:30 to 2:30 p.m.