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By Charles Lefebvre

Fire Chiefs Association launches campaign for carbon monoxide alarm testing

Feb 4, 2020 | 11:33 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The Alberta Fire Chiefs Association have launched a new campaign to remind Albertans to test their carbon monoxide alarms regularly.

The “Whatever it Takes” campaign launched Monday, and is aimed at getting people to do monthly checks of their alarms.

“Although carbon monoxide alarms are becoming more common, our research shows that not enough Albertans are testing the alarms they have or concerned about the risk,” said Fred Tyrrell, Executive Director of the AFCA, in a news release. “This still poses a safety risk that is quite preventable. So our goal with this year’s campaign is to urge Albertans to make monthly alarm-testing part of their routine.”

According to a survey bu Leger, while more than 70 per cent of Albertans have at least one carbon monoxide alarm in their home, less than half of those surveyed said they were “very likely” to test their alarm on even a yearly basis.

The ad campaign features carbon monoxide alarms with human-like features on them, such as eyes, ears and moustaches. The goal of the ad, according to a release, to to encourage people to make their carbon monoxide alarms “unignorable” and test them once a month.

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Carbon monoxide is invisible, odourless and poisonous, and can only be detected by a working alarm. The campaign is reminding Albertans that they should have a carbon monoxide alarm in their home, it needs to be tested monthly, and the test takes only 30 seconds.

“By investing just a little bit of time, and reminding other family and friends to do the same thing, lives can be saved,” Tyrrell said in a news release.