Project Zero raises CO awareness

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PARIS Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms will be distributed to certain Brant County residents over the next few weeks.

The 156 alarms were delivered to the Brant County fire department through Project Zero, a public safety campaign that aims to reduce to zero the number of carbon monoxide-related deaths in Ontario. The campaign is backed by Enbridge Gas Inc.

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The alarms will be distributed to seniors, those with a disability and those who have difficulty affording new alarms.

“We’re grateful for the contribution of these alarms to our community,” Brant Fire Chief Geoff Hayman said. “We want to ensure that seniors, those living with a disability or people who have difficulty affording new alarms are given these as our fist priority.

“Alarms are an important part of safety in every home and building.”

Carbon monoxide, or CO, is often called the “silent killer” because it is odourless, tasteless and colourless.

Dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide can accumulate when fuel, such as gasoline, oil, natural gas, propane and wood, doesn’t burn properly in an appliance due to poor installation, maintenance, equipment failure or damage. People affected by carbon monoxide poisoning  get headaches and burning eyes and start to feel nauseous, drowsy and confused.

The alarms give people the warning they need to safely escape from a fire or carbon monoxide exposure.

Enbridge has contributed $275,000 in Project Zero. Over the past 11 years, the program has provided more than 44,350 alarms to Ontario fire departments.

“We know the best way to avoid exposure (to carbon monoxide) is to eliminate it at the source by properly maintaining fuel-burning equipment,” said Murray Costello, director of Enbridge’s southwest region operation.

“We also know that alarms are a critical second line of defence to protect against carbon monoxide.”

Enbridge, based in Ontario, was formed last Jan. 1 by the amalgamation of Union Gas and Enbridge Gas Distribution. It is Canada’s largest natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company. It serves more than 3.7 million customers.

Besides providing alarms, Project Zero aims to raise awareness that all homes are required to have a CO alarm if they have a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage.

Fire department, Enbridge and community representatives gathered on Nov. 1 to talk about the program at the Brant fire administration building in Paris. They were joined by John Gignac, a retired Brantford firefighter who has led the way in raising awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Gignac is the uncle of Laurie Hawkins, who, along with her husband, Richard and their two children, Cassandra, 14. and Jordan, 10, died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their Woodstock home in late 2008.

Following their deaths, Gignac and other family members dedicated themselves to educating others about CO poisoning. They also urged municipalities across Ontario to adopt bylaws requiring homes to have CO alarms.

In addition, Gignac founded the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education, which has, among other things, distributed more than 10,000 CO alarms across Canada including 6,000 in Ontario. One of the biggest successes of the foundation was getting the Hawkins-Gignac Act – requiring CO alarms in homes – passed in the Ontario legislature in 2013.

The event marked the beginning of CO Awareness Week, which runs until Nov. 7.

For more information on the foundation and CO education visit the foundation’s website at www.endthesilence.ca.

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