Protective Services
Protective Services encompass a number of departments and services including, fire, policing and emergency management programs. The Township is serviced by one volunteer fire department with three stations location in Embro, Thamesford and Uniondale. Policing service to Township residents is provided by the Oxford Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police. The Township’s Emergency Management program is managed by the Township’s Emergency Management Coordinator and operated in accordance with the provincially legislated Emergency Management Act.
Green Courtesy Light for Ontario Firefighters
Pull over for green flashing lights! These are volunteer emergency responders enroute to help someone in need. View the public education video regarding green flashing lights.
The Ontario Government announced the release of the anticipated Carbon Monoxide Regulations, following consultation with stakeholders as part of the technical advisory committee process. The Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs was a principle stakeholder in that process. Read the announcement here.
Carbon Monoxide Alarms Regulation (O. Reg.194/14)
Ontario is taking another step to keep families and homes in Ontario safe by making carbon monoxide alarms mandatory in all residential homes. CO alarms have been mandatory in new residential buildings containing a fuel-burning appliance (e.g. a gas furnace/stove) or a storage garage (for motor vehicles) since 2001. The New Regulation states that Existing residential occupancies that contain at least one fuel-burning appliance (e.g., gas water heater or gas furnace), fireplace or an attached garage, require the installation of a CO alarm. Carbon monoxide detectors will now be required near all sleeping areas in residential homes and in the service rooms, and adjacent sleeping areas in multi-residential units. Carbon monoxide alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall.
Visit the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management for further information.
Message from Fire Department about Light Bulb Safety
"Below is a picture of a CFL light bulb from my bathroom. I turned it on the other day and then smelled smoke after a few minutes. Four inch flames were spewing out of the side of the ballast like a blow torch! I immediately turned off the lights. But I'm sure it would have caused a fire if I was not right there. Imagine if the kids had left the lights on as usual when they were not in the room. I took the bulb to the Fire Department to report the incident. The Fireman wasn't at all surprised and said that it was not an uncommon occurrence. Apparently, sometimes when the bulb burns out there is a chance that the ballast can start a fire. He told me that the Fire Marshall had issued reports about the dangers of these bulbs.
Upon doing some Internet research, it seems that bulbs made by“Globe” in China seem to have the lion’s share of problems. Lots of fires have been blamed on misuse of CFL bulbs, like using them in recessed lighting, pot lights, dimmers or in track lighting. Mine was installed in a normal light socket.
I will be removing all the Globe bulbs from my house. CFL bulbs are a great energy saver but make sure you buy a name brand like Sylvania, Phillips or GE and not the ones from China."
CAUTION: Be careful when recycling batteries, especially 9 volt batteries found in many of our smoke detectors today! Smoke detector batteries should be replaced regularly and therefore they may still be carrying a charge when you remove them, causing a potential fire hazard if stored incorrectly.
Recycling and disposing of these batteries is simple. Place a piece of electrical tape over the positive and negative terminals preventing them from making contact which will assist with the elimination of a potential hazard of stored batteries. Click here to watch an informative video.
REMEMBER: Safety starts at home.
For more information please contact the Township of Zorra Fire Chief at 519-485-2490 ext. 7240.
On October 9, 2019, Health Canada issued a notice to interested parties to warn them about the dangers and risk mitigation measures for certain containers of pourable alcohol-based fuels and certain portable firepots that use pourable fuels. View the full notice here.
Oxford County has created an information sheet regarding abandoned wells in southwestern Ontario. This sheet contains details on how to identify abandoned wells, the potential hazards and risks they pose to public health and the environment, and contact information for the MNRF Abandoned Works Program. Oxford County has planned to mail out the information sheet to rural residents who have an active or abandoned well near or on their property. To view the locations of these wells, follow this link. Click here to view the information sheet.
Public Safety Message from the Ontario Fire Marshal - August 30, 2019
TORONTO — Jon Pegg, Ontario’s Fire Marshal, is alerting Ontarians to the significant fire safety risks associated with ethanol-fueled appliances, commonly known as tabletop fire features or pots. A fire hazard, called flame-jetting, occurs as fuel vapours are ignited when refueling these appliances that are not fully extinguished, and a flame is not readily visible.
“Ontario has recorded multiple fatalities and serious injuries related to the refueling of these ethanol-fueled appliances this year,” noted Pegg. “Since 2016, the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (OFMEM) has conducted eleven fire investigations that involved the use of these appliances.”
Ethanol-fueled appliances are currently sold across the province and throughout the rest of Canada. The OFMEM recommends people protect themselves when using these appliances and help prevent flame-jetting by following these tips:
- Make sure any flames in an ethanol-fueled appliance are fully out and that it is cold to the touch before refueling
- Only refuel when no one is near the appliance
- When refueling, use a fuel container that has a flame arrestor.
People are encouraged to contact their local fire service if they have questions about other fire safety measures that can be taken to protect themselves and their family.