Oct 29, 2009 - 04:30 AM

By Chris Hall

SCUGOG -- As homeowners prepare to change their smoke alarm and carbon monoxide batteries this weekend, Scugog Fire Department has fined one homeowner for not having working smoke alarms.

Scugog's fire chief says his department is prepared to continue handing out tickets if it means saving lives.

Since 2006, the Ontario Fire Code has required a working smoke alarm on each floor of a house, in particular outside of bedroom areas. Since the law came into effect, the Scugog Fire Department has issued three fines -- the most recent in September. The fine for not having a working smoke detector is $235.

During the first week of September, the municipal fire department responded to three structure fires. While cleaning up after one of those blazes, local fire officials discovered all three smoke alarms in the house had previously been disabled and were not functioning, say Scugog fire officials.

"The Ontario Fire Marshal has taken a zero tolerance stand on this," said Richard Miller, Scugog's fire chief. "We felt with three smoke alarms in the house and none operating, our only choice was to give them a ticket."

The first two tickets were handed out to a landlord in early 2006, days after the fatal house fire on Crandell Street that claimed three lives.

"We're just reminding people about the law and it's unfortunate that we have to go that route," continued the fire chief. "Basically, we need people to comply with the fire code."

In a recent press release, Chief Miller said it's irksome to continue to have to remind people about the need for smoke alarms, despite extensive promotion.

"It is very frustrating to find residents who do not take the law seriously," he said.

The local fire department goes out of its way to spread the message about smoke alarms, said Chief Miller. The Scugog department carries out an Alarmed For Life program where firefighters visit homes across the municipality to check on residential smoke detectors. During that safety campaign, firefighters do not issue tickets for non-compliant alarms and will provide smoke detectors to homes that need them.

Tickets will only be issued in the event of an emergency call where non-compliant smoke alarms are found, said the fire chief.

The effort to raise awareness around smoke alarms comes at a time when the fire department usually urges residents to check and/or change the batteries in their alarms. Before turning their clocks back an hour this Saturday night, Scugog residents are urged to inspect all the smoke alarms in their house.

According to Chief Miller, Ontario Fire Marshal statistics show that 68 fatal fires across Ontario in 2008 claimed the lives of 77 people. To date in 2009, 64 fatal fires have resulted in 74 deaths.

"We'd like to get that down to zero," said Chief Miller.