• What types of buildings require a Fire Safety Plan?
• Fire Safety Plan Template
• Home Escape Planning
• Safe Use of Household Clothes Dryer tip sheet

The Ontario Fire Code sets responsibilities for owners/landlords and tenants regarding smoke alarms under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4 including:

• Owners and/or landlords are responsible for the installation, maintenance and testing of smoke alarms as well as providing tenants with a copy of the smoke alarms manufacturer's maintenance instructions.
• Tenants are responsible for notifying the owner or landlord as soon as they are aware that the smoke alarm in their unit is disconnected, not operating or that the operation of the smoke alarm is impaired.

• No person shall disable a smoke alarm.

Landlords, please use our Landlord Alarm Verification Form to verify that your tenants have working carbon dioxide and smoke detectors in your rental units.

Ontario mandated carbon monoxide detectors in all residential homes under the Ontario Fire Code. 

• This regulation applies to every building that contains a residential occupancy and a fuel-burning appliance, a fireplace, or a storage garage.
• In residential homes carbon monoxide detectors are required near all sleeping areas.
• In multi-residential units carbon monoxide detectors are required in service rooms, and adjacent sleeping areas.

Carbon monoxide alarms can be hardwired, battery-operated or plugged into the wall. 

Homeowners and landlords can also contact Brockton's Fire Prevention Officer for questions regarding their specific building.

Landlords, please use our Landlord Alarm Verification Form to verify that your tenants have working carbon dioxide and smoke detectors in your rental units.

Farms and rural properties have unique fire risks. Contact the fire prevention department to request a free fire safety assessment as the first step in creating your farm fire prevention plan or use the links below to help reduce the risk of a fire at your property.  Remember, most fires on farms could have been prevented with simple fire safety measures and regular equipment and electrical checks.

• Fire Prevention on the Farm Brochure
• Farm Fire Safety Checklist
• Farm Fire Safety Tips - Separated by Cost

Before you start a burn on your farm you must request permission from the Municipality. Find out more on our Burn Permits page. 

Every fall we remind Brockton residents of the importance of fire safety with our Fire Prevention Week programming. 

Join the Walkerton Fire Department in celebrating Fire Prevention Week the second week in October each year. Every year, the Fire Department works to educate everyone about simple but important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires.

Today’s homes burn faster than ever. You may have as little as two minutes (or even less time) to safely escape a home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Your ability to get out of a home during a fire depends on early warning from smoke alarms and advance planning.
Learn more about Fire Prevention Week:

• National Fire Protection Association Fire Prevention Week website
• Sparky the Fire Dog's Website

Ensuring you have working smoke alarms is an easy first step.

• Test the smoke alarms monthly - no, burning dinner doesn't count!
• Change batteries twice a year and the time change is a perfect time, while you are changing your clocks.
• Double check manufacture dates on the smoke alarms - all smoke alarms need to be replaced every ten years.

Smoke alarms are the law, yet the Ontario’s Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) states that the majority of fatal fires that were investigated between 2012 and 2021 had no working smoke alarms or no evidence of any smoke alarms.

Create a plan that has primary and secondary escape paths, if possible, and choose a meeting spot outside. Consider if anyone will need assistance getting out - young children, elderly, etc. as part of this plan.

Don't forget to practice! 

Practice makes perfect - even practicing a couple times a year is enough to have an idea as to what to do in the event of a fire. 

Remember these do's and don'ts:

• Do keep items that can catch on fire at least three feet away from anything that gets hot, such as space heaters
• If you smoke:
• Do take precautions: Smoke outside; choose fire-safe cigarettes; use deep, sturdy ashtrays and douse cigarette and cigar butts with water before disposal.
• Don't ever smoke in bed, when drowsy or medicated, or if anyone in the home is using oxygen.
• Do talk to children regularly about the dangers of fire, matches and lighters and keep them out of reach.
• Do turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
• Do use flashlights when the power is out, not candles.

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and outside every sleeping area. 
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each separate sleeping area.
• Make sure your house number is easily readable from the street, even at night.
• Make sure your home heating sources are clean and in working order. Many home fires are started by poorly maintained furnaces or stoves, cracked or rusted furnace parts, or chimneys with creosote buildup.
• Check electrical wiring in your home:
  • Fix or replace frayed extension cords, exposed wires, or loose plugs.
  • Make sure wiring is not under rugs, attached by nails, or in high traffic areas.
  • Make sure electrical outlets have cover plates and no exposed wiring.
  • Avoid overloading outlets or extension cords.
• Purchase only appliances and electrical devices (including space heaters) that bear the label of an independent testing laboratory.
• Store combustible materials in open areas away from heat sources. Place rags used to apply flammable household chemicals in metal containers with tight-fitting lids.
• Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling or broiling food. Stay in the home while simmering, baking, roasting or boiling food.
• Keep pets off cooking surfaces and countertops.
• Keep the stove area clean and clear of things that can catch fire, such as pot holders, towels, curtains, bags, and other appliances.
• If you are cooking and a fire starts in a pan, slide a lid over the burning pan and turn off the burner. Leave the lid in place until the pan is completely cool. Moving the pan can cause serious injury or spread the fire. Never pour water on grease fires.

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