Enbridge Gas helps the Southwold Fire Department through Safe Community Project Zero

Enbridge Gas helps the Southwold Fire Department
Reduce Fire and Carbon Monoxide Deaths through Safe Community Project Zero

News Release

FINGAL ON, December 16, 2021 – Today, Enbridge Gas, the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council and the Southwold Fire Department announced they are working to improve home safety and bring fire and carbon monoxide-related deaths down to zero.

The Southwold Fire Department received 114 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms through Safe Community Project Zero–a public education campaign that will provide over 16,600 alarms to residents in 70 municipalities across Ontario.

This year, Enbridge Gas invested $500,000 in Safe Community Project Zero, and over the past 13 years, the program has provided more than 68,000 alarms to Ontario fire departments.

When properly installed and maintained, combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms help provide the early warning to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels.

“Carbon monoxide is known as the ‘silent killer’ for a reason, and we have proof that prevention saves lives. We know that the best way to avoid carbon monoxide exposure is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment, and that the alarms are a critical second line of defense to protect against carbon monoxide poisoning,” says Steven Jelich, Director, Southwest Region Operations, Enbridge Gas.

“The objective of Safe Community Project Zero is to deliver combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario communities who need them the most,” says Jon Pegg, Ontario Fire Marshal and Chair of the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council. “It’s a program that fire departments can adopt to help educate their communities about the requirement for all Ontario homes to have a CO alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.”

“Many thanks to Enbridge Gas for their ongoing commitment to assisting us with keeping the residents of Southwold safe, while delivering the message that only working alarms save lives,” says Fire Chief Jeff McArthur.

About the Southwold Fire Department
The Southwold Fire Department proudly protects the residents of the Township of Southwold in Elgin County, operating two stations with a combined compliment of 50 volunteer/paid-on-call firefighters and a chief.

About the Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council
The Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council (Council) is a registered charity established in 1993 with a mission to help create “a world where no one is hurt by fire.” Chaired by the Ontario Fire Marshal, the Council promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals with an interest in public safety. Follow the Council on Twitter @FMPFSC.

About Enbridge Gas
Enbridge Gas Inc., formed on January 1, 2019 from the amalgamation of Union Gas Limited and Enbridge Gas Distribution, is Canada's largest natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with a more than 170-year history of providing safe and reliable service to customers. The distribution business serves about 3.8 million customers, heating over 75 per cent of Ontario homes. The storage and transmission business offers a variety of storage and transportation services to customers at the Dawn Hub, the largest integrated underground storage facility in Canada and one of the largest in North America. Enbridge Gas Inc. is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution.

For more information, visit www.enbridgegas.com or follow us on Twitter @EnbridgeGas.

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For more information, please contact:

Jeff McArthur, Southwold Fire Department
Tel: 519-769-2010
Email: firechief@southwold.ca

Kathy Ash, Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council
Tel: 1-866-379-6668 ext. 105
Email: kathy.ash@firesafetycouncil.com

Enbridge Gas Media
Tel: 1-855-884-5112
Email: enbridgegasmedia@enbridge.com