Maryanne Firth / The Tribune

 It’s time to wake up about smoke alarms.

As part of Fire Prevention Week, Port Colborne firefighters are going door-to-door in the city to discuss the importance of the life-saving devices.

There are a significant number of Port Colborne homes that are not in compliance with the Ontario Fire Code, said fire Chief Tom Cartwright, noting about 45% of residences are without working smoke alarms.

This may mean batteries in alarms are dead, alarms are malfunctioning or simply not installed at all, he added.

The fire department offers assistance at no charge to people who are not financially able to purchase smoke alarms and to people who are unable to install the devices themselves. The department also has more than 200 combination smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors available free of charge to low-income individuals and seniors.

For assistance or more information, call 905-835-4512.