Ottawa Firefighters Roll Out Free Alarm Checks on June Sundays

Starting June 2, Ottawa’s firefighters will be out on Sunday mornings, door‑to‑door, looking over the city’s smoke and carbon‑monoxide alarms. It’s a free service, meant to give families peace of mind and to catch faulty devices before they fail.

The program runs every Sunday in June – the 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th – and anyone with a residence in Ottawa can request a visit. Residents simply need to call the fire‑prevention line or register online; a crew will then show up, typically between 9 a.m. and noon.

When the firefighters arrive, they’ll test each alarm’s battery, make sure the detector is still within its service life and confirm it’s positioned correctly – not too high, not too low, away from kitchens or humid rooms. If a unit is out of date or the battery is dead, they’ll advise a replacement on the spot.

Chief Mark Dickinson explained that the outreach is a response to a rise in alarm‑related incidents over the past two years. “We’re seeing more stories of people waking up to a fire because their alarm works, and conversely, too many tragic cases where a dead battery meant a disaster went unnoticed,” he said. “A quick check can be the difference between a close call and a catastrophe.”

In addition to the technical check, firefighters will hand out pamphlets on fire‑safety basics – cooking safety, safe use of space heaters and what to do if a carbon‑monoxide alarm sounds. They’ll also answer any questions residents have about fire‑prevention equipment.

While the city hopes the free checks will reach as many homes as possible, officials stress that regular maintenance is still the homeowner’s responsibility. Keeping batteries fresh, replacing detectors every ten years and testing them monthly are simple habits that can save lives.