Emergency Preparedness

FOR EMERGENCIES :  FIRE, POLICE OR AMBULANCE – DIAL 9-1-1

Any municipality can be seriously affected by an emergency.  This could involve natural or man-made disasters.  If an emergency is declared within the community, a coordinated response by a number of organizations, both governmental and private, under the direction of the appropriate elected and senior municipal officials is required. The Township of Plummer Additional works diligently to implement and maintain its Emergency Response Plan.  The Plan is prepared to provide key officials, agencies and departments with important emergency response information.  The Plummer Township Emergency Response Plan is approved by Council and has been reviewed by the province of Ontario. 

The Emergency Response Plan is reviewed and updated annually. To protect individuals and their information, the public version of this report does not have contact information. Please contact the office to request specific information on individuals within the Emergency Response Plan. 

Review Plan:

 

IS YOUR FAMILY PREPARED?

Graphic displaying 72 hours or 3 daysIt can take 72 hours or more to mobilize a substantial relief effort during an emergency.  Canadians should be prepared to take care of themselves and their families for 72 hours (3 days).  You are encouraged to create a 72-Hour Emergency Plan for your household.

Please click on the links provided below for further information and resources to aid in creating an Emergency Plan and a 72-Hour Emergency Kit for your household:

To learn more about the differenct emergencies that can affect the area in which you live and what you can do to be prepared, please click on the link below:

How to Create a Home Fire Escape Plan 

Source:  https://www.oafc.on.ca/public-safety/fire-escape-plans

  • Draw a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of every room – especially sleeping areas. 
  • Discuss the escape routes with every member of your household. 
  • Agree on a meeting place outside your home where every member of the household will gather to wait for the fire department. This allows you to count heads and inform the fire department if anyone is trapped inside the burning building. 
  • Practice your escape plan at least twice a year. Have a fire drill in your home. A fire drill is not a race.
  • Get out quickly, but carefully. Make your exit drill realistic. Pretend that some exits are blocked by fire and practise alternative escape routes. Pretend that the lights are out and that some escape routes are filling with smoke.

Print out an escape plan template.

Be Prepared
Make sure everyone in the household can unlock all doors and windows quickly, even in the dark. Windows or doors with security bars need to be equipped with quick-release devices and everyone in the household should know how to use them.
If you live in an apartment building, use stairways to escape. Never use an elevator during a fire. It may stop between floors or take you to a floor where the fire is burning.

If you live in a two storey house, and you must escape from a second storey window, be sure there is a safe way to reach the ground. Make special arrangements for children, older adults and people with disabilities. People who have difficulty moving should have a phone in their sleeping area and, if possible, should sleep on the ground floor.

Test doors before opening them. While kneeling or crouching at the door, reach up as high as you can and touch the door, the knob and the space between the door and its frame with the back of your hand. If the door is hot, use another escape route. If the door is cool, open it with caution.
If you are trapped, close all doors between you and the fire. Stuff the cracks around the doors with towels or blankets to keep out smoke. Wait at a window and signal for help with a light coloured cloth or a flashlight. If there is a phone in the room, call 9-1-1 and tell the operator exactly where you are.

Get Out Fast 
In case of fire, do not stop for anything. Do not try to rescue possessions or pets. Go directly to your meeting place and then call 9-1-1 from a neighbour’s phone. Every member of your household should know how to call the fire department.

Crawl low under smoke. Smoke contains deadly gases and heat rises. During a fire, cleaner air will be near the floor. If you encounter smoke when using your primary exit, use your alternate escape plan. If you must exit through smoke, crawl on your hands and knees keeping your head 12 to 24 inches (30 to 60 cm) above the floor.

Stay Out
Once you are out of your home, do not go back for any reason. If people are trapped, firefighters have the best chance of rescuing them. The heat and smoke of a fire are overpowering. Firefighters have the training, experience and protective equipment needed to enter burning buildings.Graphic showing a basic floor plan with escape routes indicated in the event of a fire.

Source:  https://www.ontario.ca/page/fire-safety-home

The best way to stay fire safe is to prevent fires from starting. Here are some tips to help address some of the leading causes of home fires in Ontario.

Cooking Safety

Unattended cooking is a leading cause of home fires in Ontario. To prevent cooking fires:

  • be alert – do not cook if you:
    • are sleepy
    • have consumed alcohol, drugs or medicine that makes you drowsy
  • always stay in the kitchen while cooking and turn off the stove if you must leave
  • keep anything that burns a safe distance from the stove, including:
    • oven mitts
    • cooking utensils
    • dishcloths
    • paper towels
    • potholders
  • keep a proper-fitting pot lid near the stove when cooking so you can slide the lid over the pot and turn off the stove if the pot catches fire. Do not move the pot until it has cooled completely
  • wear short or tight sleeves or roll sleeves up when cooking, to avoid loose-fitting clothes from catching fire on stove burners
Smoking Safety

Smoking is the number one cause of fatal home fires in Ontario. Alcohol is a factor in many smoking-related fires. To prevent smoking fires:

  • be alert when smoking – you will not be alert if you are sleepy or have consumed alcohol, drugs or medicine that makes you drowsy
  • never smoke in bed
  • encourage smokers to smoke outside, including outside the garage
  • check behind chair and sofa cushions for cigarette butts before going to bed if people have been smoking in your home
  • use large, deep ashtrays that cannot be knocked over
  • empty ashes into a metal container, not a garbage can, and keep it outside
  • do not extinguish cigarettes in plant pots, which may contain a mixture of peat moss, shredded wood and bark that can easily ignite
Electrical Safety

Electrical equipment is a leading cause of home fires in Ontario. To prevent electrical fires:

  • avoid running cords under rugs which can damage the cord and cause a fire
  • avoid overloading a circuit. If additional outlets or circuits are required, have them installed by a licensed electrician
  • use extension cords only as a temporary connection, if permanent wiring is required, have additional outlets installed by a licensed electrician
  • do not link extension cords together, use an extension cord that is long enough
  • plug air conditioners and other heavy appliances directly into an outlet
  • install ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) in bathrooms, kitchens and garages (GFCIs shut off an electrical circuit when it becomes a shock hazard)
  • check electrical cords for damage, such as fraying or nicks as a damaged cord can expose wires and result in a potential shock or fire hazard
Heating Safety

Stay safe while keeping warm. To prevent fires:

  • ensure woodstoves, fireplaces and fireplace inserts are installed by a qualified technician according to the manufacturer’s instructions
  • have your heating system, vents and chimneys inspected and cleaned annually by a qualified service technician
  • ensure all outside heating vents are not blocked
  • let ashes from your woodstove or fireplace cool before emptying them into a metal container with a tight-fitting lid and keep the container outside
  • always use a fire screen in front of a fireplace
  • burn dry, well-seasoned wood in fireplaces and woodstoves to reduce the risk of excessive creosote build-up in chimneys
  • keep space heaters at least one metre or three feet away from anything that can burn, including curtains, upholstery and clothing

 

In relation to heating and vehicle safety:

  • replace worn or damaged electrical wires and connections on vehicles and extension cords and use the proper gauge extension cord for vehicle block heaters
  • consider using approved timers for vehicle block heaters rather than leaving heaters on all night
  • ensure that vehicles are not left running inside any garage or building

Wildfires are Canada’s second most costly disaster and impact every region of the country.

How to prepare for a wildfire:
  • Make a household emergency plan and regularly update your plan.  Ensure that all members of your household are aware of the plan.
  • Have a 72-hour emergency kit ready for you and your family.
  • Remove fire hazards in and around your home, such as dried leaves, branches and debris.
  • Keep a sprinkler in good working condition available.
  • Know how to turn off the utilities in your residence.  Local authorities make ask you to shut them off.
  • Make sure smoke detectors in your home are in working condition.
  • Be ready to evacuate.  Ensure that your vehicle is fully fuelled.

More important safety tips are available at:

Getprepared – Wildfires

Sources: 

Most fatal fires occur at night when people are asleep. Often, victims never wake up. Working smoke alarms give you the precious time you need to escape a fire.  A working smoke alarm will detect smoke and sound to alert you.  Effective March 1, 2006, it is the law for all Ontario homes to have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. This covers single family, semi-detached and town homes, whether owner-occupied or rented.

Responsibility for Installation

Homeowners:

It is the homeowner’s responsibility to install and maintain smoke alarms on every storey of their home and outside sleeping areas.

Landlords:

It is the landlord’s responsibility to ensure their rental properties comply with the law.

Tenants:

If you are a tenant of a rental property and do not have the required number of smoke alarms, contact your landlord immediately. It is against the law for tenants to remove the batteries or tamper with the alarm in any way.

Failure to comply with the Fire Code smoke alarm requirements can result in a $360 ticket or fine of up to $50,000 for individuals or $100,000 for corporations.

Choose the Right Alarms

Smoke alarms are available with different features and applications, so choosing the right alarm can be confusing. Some of the features to consider include:

Power Source

Smoke alarms can be powered electrically, by batteries or both. If you are installing an electrically powered alarm, we recommend that it have a battery backup in case of power failures.

Technology

Most smoke alarms employ either ionization or photo-electric technology. Ionization alarms may respond slightly faster to flaming-type fires. Photo-electric alarms may be quicker at detecting slow, smouldering fires. Consider having both types of alarms in your home. When purchasing smoke alarms, make sure they have the logo of a recognized standards testing agency, such as CSA or ULC, to ensure they meet Canadian performance standards.

Pause Feature

Smoke alarms with a pause button are highly recommended. The pause feature permits the alarm to be temporarily silenced without disconnecting the power source.

Maintain Your Smoke Alarms

Test Smoke Alarms Monthly

Test your smoke alarms every month by using the test button on the alarm. When the test button is pressed, the alarm should sound. If it fails to sound, make sure that the battery is installed correctly or install a new battery. If the alarm still fails to sound, replace the smoke alarm with a new one.

Change Batteries at Least Once a Year

Install a new battery at least once a year, or as recommended by the manufacturer. Install a new battery if the low-battery warning sounds or if the alarm fails to sound when tested.

Vacuum Alarms Annually

Dust can clog your smoke alarms. Battery-powered smoke alarms should be cleaned by opening the cover of the alarm and gently vacuuming the inside with a soft bristle brush.

For electrically connected smoke alarms, first shut off the power to the unit, and then gently vacuum the outside vents of the alarm only. Turn the power back on and test the alarm.

Replace Older Smoke Alarms

All smoke alarms wear out. Replace them every 10 years according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Source:   End the Silence:  Hawkins-Gignac Foundation

To access an enlarged view of the brochure below, please click on the brochure. Carbon Monoxide brochure with information regarding CO.

As of October 2014, it is the law in Ontario to install carbon monoxide alarms outside sleeping areas in all homes at risk of CO.  The revision to the Ontario Fire Code supersedes any existing municipal by-laws.

Carbon Monoxide Sources

Carbon monoxide can be emitted if fuel burning devices are improperly installed or poorly maintained.  Vents and flues must also be free of debris and not cracked or clogged.
Now, no matter the age of your home, if you have any oil, propane or gas-burning appliances, furnace or water heater, a wood or gas fireplace, or an attached garage or carport, you must have working carbon monoxide alarms installed near sleeping areas.

CO Safety Tips
  • CO alarms are required by law to be replaced within the time frame
    indicated in the manufacturer’s instructions and/or on the label on
    the unit. Some new CO alarms offer sealed lithium batteries that last
    10 years from activation.
  • For optimal protection, install additional CO alarms on every
    floor of the home.
  • Have a licenced technician inspect your fuel burning appliances
    annually, (eg. furnace, range, fireplace, water heater) to ensure they
    are in proper working order and vented correctly.
  • For families with older parents or relatives, it is wise to help them
    inspect their CO alarms.
  • CO alarms don’t last forever. They need to be replaced every
    7-10 years, depending on the brand.
  • If your alarm goes off get everyone out of the house, stay out
    and call 911! Exposure to CO reduces your ability to think clearly,
    so never delay if your alarm goes off and you sense a problem.
Symptoms of CO Exposure

Early symptoms of CO poisoning include headache, nausea and fatigue and are often
mistaken for the flu. Carbon monoxide is known to disorient its victims and is most
dangerous when people are sleeping and fail to wake up or realize they are at risk.
Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and death.

Source:  https://www.nfpa.org/Education-and-Research/Home-Fire-Safety/Lithium-Ion-Batteries

Lithium-ion batteries power many different devices e.g. cell phones, laptops, tablets, scooters, e-bikes, smoke alarms.  They store a large amount of energy in a small amount of space.

Signs of Problems

Stop using the battery if you notice:

  • odour
  • change in colour
  • too much heat
  • change in shape
  • leaking
  • odd noises
Battery Disposal

Do not put lithium-ion batteries in the trash.  Recycle batteries.  Please take batteries to a battery recycling location.  Do not put discarded batteries in piles.

Please click on the image below for an enlarges view:

Image displaying Lithium-Ion safety measures

REMINDER: 
The first installment of 2025 Plummer Additional Property Taxes is due on February 15, 2025.

Payment options are available at the link below.