North Stormont Fire Services, along with members from other Eastern Ontario Fire Departments near and far, gathered for an impactful event as fire prevention week approaches, October 5 -11, 2025. Kidde Canada has partnered with the North Stormont Fire Department and donated 400 smoke detectors, at a value of $20,000, to provide life-saving equipment to residents. According to representatives from Kidde, the smoke detectors will be made available to households in need by contacting the North Stormont Fire Stations. In addition, the Kidde smoke detectors will be carried in the trucks with firefighters who encounter homes where detectors have not been installed and will also be part of food donation baskets. This partnership with Kidde Canada will assist and protect vulnerable residents, such as seniors and low income, who haven’t been able to afford a smoke detector.
North Stormont Fire Chief Nancy-Ann Gauthier said this donation is a step forward in fire safety for all communities who benefit from the generosity of Kidde Canada. Across Ontario, 19 communities have been chosen as the recipients of smoke detectors from Kidde, valued at over $350,000. This initiative is to bridge the gap for households unable to meet the requirements of having smoke detectors on each floor of their home.
By creating a tailored approach for each fire department in the various communities, there is a better chance of sharing the message and educating everyone that smoke detectors save lives. Sadly, there continues to be an increase in the number of fire-related fatalities in Ontario. Deputy Fire Marshal John McBeth said there have been 92 fatalities from fires this year, and even though smoke detectors are required by law in Ontario, firefighters continue to discover households without working devices. Nick Caldareri, from Kidde Canada, said more education is necessary to remind people that smoke detectors need to also be maintained, with only 6 per cent of Canadians testing their alarms to ensure they are working correctly.
Educating children in school about fire safety is another important tool for fire departments. In connecting with students, messages about fire safety, creating escape plans and maintaining smoke detectors will be carried to homes across the province. In addition, by working together with one common message, such as ‘Saved by the Beep’ to test fire alarms, that message will be stronger, shared across the province’s fire departments and saving lives.
Jamie Kovacs, Executive Director for the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Public Fire Safety Council attended the event in North Stormont to support the donation from Kidde Canada, saying everyone was “here for one cause”. With homes made from many synthetic materials, time to escape is under three minutes. Fire doesn’t discriminate and everyone needs to be prepared in case a fire erupts.