TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - June 19, 2012) - Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. (TSX:ENB) (NYSE:ENB), the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council and 13 local fire departments will work together to deliver more than 2,900 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to Ontario homes.
Enbridge has donated $100,000 to expand Project Zero, a public education program aimed at reducing residential fire and carbon monoxide deaths to zero. Since the launch in Toronto in 2009, Enbridge has supported the delivery of Project Zero to thirty-four Ontario communities including 13 new Ontario communities in 2012. This year's donation will allow more than 2,900 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to be installed in Ontario homes in Brighton, Clarence-Rockland, East Gwillimbury, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Fort Erie, Midland, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Perth, Port Colborne, Richmond Hill, West Lincoln, Whitby, and Whitchurch-Stouffville.
"Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms are critical life safety devices. They detect the presence of smoke and deadly gas and provide those precious seconds for occupants to escape. Everyone needs to have them in their homes," said Bernie Silvestri, Ontario Acting Deputy Fire Marshal.
"Supporting Project Zero and helping eliminate deaths due to carbon monoxide exposure is one way of demonstrating our commitment to keeping Ontarians safe," said John Oakley, Vice President Regional Operations, Enbridge Gas Distribution. "We encourage customers to stay safe by reminding them to install combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and properly maintaining all fuel-burning equipment."
The alarms will be distributed to homes in neighbourhoods where the number of residential fires and fire-related deaths and injuries have been higher than average. During 2011, 90 people died as a result of fires in Ontario and 79 of those deaths resulted from residential fires.
In Ontario, it is the law that every home must have a working smoke alarm on every storey and outside all sleeping areas. While carbon monoxide alarms are not currently legislated in Ontario, they are highly recommended by the Ontario Fire Marshal. Combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, when properly installed and maintained help provide the early warning that is needed to safely escape from a house fire or carbon monoxide exposure. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odourless gas that is a by-product of incomplete combustion of many types of common fuels. Proper maintenance of all fuel-burning equipment is critical to prevent carbon monoxide buildup. Carbon monoxide alarms are recommended as a second line of defense to protect against the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.
About the Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council
The Fire Marshal's Public Fire Safety Council (Council) is a registered charity established in 1993 with a mission to help create "a world where no one is hurt by fire." The Council, chaired by the Ontario Fire Marshal and supported by the Office of the Fire Marshal, operates at arm's length from the government and promotes fire prevention and public education through sponsorships and partnerships with various groups and individuals with an interest in public safety.
About Enbridge
Enbridge delivers more than the energy people count on; we deliver on our promise to help make communities better places to live.
Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. is Canada's largest natural gas distribution company. It is owned by Enbridge Inc., a Canadian-based leader in energy transportation and distribution and one of the 2012 Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations. Enbridge Inc. has been selected as one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2012 and is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers. Enbridge Gas Distribution and its affiliates distribute natural gas to more than 1.9 million customers in Ontario, Quebec, New York State and New Brunswick. For more information visit www.enbridgegas.com.
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