Don't be surprised when you see a public service message from the Fire Chiefs Association of B.C. during the NFL game you're watching or during the commercial break of the adventure program on Speed TV.

The fire chiefs' message, urging people to regularly test their smoke alarms and to replace smoke detectors that are more than 10 years old, has been picked up by Shaw Cable, who will donate the $90,000 worth of air time at no cost.

The message will run 1,784 times on 16 stations, including the US Specialty Channels CNN, TLC, A&E, BBC World, CNBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, Golf, MSNBC, NFL, Speed, Spike and CNNHD between Nov. 5, 2012 and Jan. 27, 2013 on all Shaw and Shaw Satellite stations.

British Columbia is a partner in a smoke alarm campaign launched in March 2012 with the goal of ensuring every B.C. home has and maintains a working smoke alarm.

The campaign is the vision of Surrey fire chief Len Garis, president of the Fire Chiefs' Association of BC, and is supported by the Office of the Fire Commissioner, a number of provincial public health organizations and private companies, and almost 50 communities.

Quotes:

Minister of Justice and Attorney General Shirley Bond -

"These messages are an important reminder to people to check the age of their smoke alarms, and now, with Shaw's help to have this public service announcement broadcast throughout the holiday season, we can help ensure that thousands of people will see them and learn that they need to replace their alarms after ten years.

"It will remind British Columbians that a working smoke alarm is their first and best line of defence to ensure they are quickly alerted and able to take action to save themselves and their family."

Fire Chiefs Association of BC president Fire Chief Len Garis -

"Shaw is the most recent addition to our growing number of industry, government, and non-government partners who are all working toward the goal of getting working smoke alarms in every Canadian home."

"The fundamental reason we will achieve this is because of the ongoing leadership that has been demonstrated by the provincial government, the BC Fire Chiefs' Association board, and the academic skills of researchers from the University of the Fraser Valley, including doctors Clare, Plecas, and Jennings. This movement, which started in March this year, is gaining momentum, and we are not going to stop. We won't rest until you install and test."

Quick Facts:

• Research shows that almost 70 per cent of houses that caught fire did not have a functioning smoke alarm.

• Based on five years' worth of fire-related data from B.C., Alberta, and Ontario, it also predicts that working smoke alarms could reduce annual fire deaths by as much as 32 per cent and save 76 lives across Canada each year.

Learn More:

To view the public service message, go to: www.workingsmokealarms.ca

Information about the smoke alarm campaign is at: www.fcabc.ca

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961