Photo Credit: Flickr

Toronto Fire Services and the Toronto Raptors want Torontonians to 'keep the fire on the court'


Tuesday, 03 December 2019 08:00.AM

(City of Toronto) - The City of Toronto's Fire Services has partnered with the Toronto Raptors to launch an advertising and public education campaign on fire safety. The campaign urges people: "Install, test and maintain your smoke alarms. And make a fast break. Always have a fire escape plan. Learn how to keep your home safe from fire at toronto.ca/FireSafety."

The campaign image features Raptors OG Anunoby, Marc Gasol and Stanley Johnson. Two Toronto Fire Services honour guards are also featured on the poster for a role they played during an emergency while on shift in June this year.

The public education component will be carried out beginning now and throughout the winter in conjunction with the ad campaign. Firefighters will visit schools, community centres, libraries, arenas and businesses to convey the message to be extra cautious and safe during the holidays. The campaign includes posters, banners, information cards, digital ads and social media spots featuring the slogan "Keep the fire on the court."

"I want to thank our Toronto Fire service and the Toronto Raptors for working together to help keep Toronto families safe. We know that the risk of home-heating fires goes up this time of year and that nearly all those fires are preventable. We can reduce the number of home-heating fires in our community by taking some simple precautions and using heating equipment properly."
- Mayor John Tory

For the launch of this campaign, Kidde Canada has donated to Toronto Fire Services 5,000 smoke alarms and 700 carbon monoxide alarms, both with 10-year, hassle-free batteries. Toronto Fire Services will give the alarms to the Daily Bread Food Bank to include in its holiday drive food baskets.

Winter is the season when fires and carbon monoxide incidents typically rise in Toronto. Common causes of this increase are unmaintained heating equipment, improper use of candles and decorations, and unsafe cooking behaviors.

Toronto Fire Services reminds everyone that the Ontario Fire Code requires smoke alarms to be installed on every floor of your home and outside all sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms are required outside all sleeping areas if the home has a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace or an attached garage.