In a ceremony and presentation today at the Tsuut’ina Nation Fire Station, new community safety and fire prevention partnerships were announced among Tsuut’ina Fire Rescue, Calgary Fire Department and Kidde.
As part of ongoing efforts to improve fire safety across Canada, representatives from Kidde, a leading manufacturer of fire safety products, contributed nearly $86,000 CAD worth of smoke alarms to Tsuut’ina and Calgary fire services, to be distributed within their respective communities.
Additionally, Tsuut’ina and Calgary announced a new community safety partnership that will see the two fire services sharing resources and best practices on fire prevention. Such resources include home safety programs that can help ensure families in both communities have working smoke alarms.
This new partnership builds on existing agreements that see both fire services assist each other on fire incidents and other emergencies in and around the southwest edge of Calgary that connects with Tsuut’ina Nation. As part of its community safety partnership Tsuut’ina Fire Rescue and Calgary Fire Department will collaborate on ways to better reach at-risk members of their communities as well as increase general fire safety awareness.
“Our neighbouring fire services have provided mutual aid for years and we are pleased to deepen this partnership with mutual respect and understanding,” said Chief Tyler Two Guns, Tsuut’ina Fire Rescue. “As both Tsuut’ina and Calgary populations grow, including new developments and business activity at Tsuut’ina, the need for fire safety and prevention has grown as well. We thank Kidde for its partnership gift of smoke alarms, which will benefit both of our communities.”
“Today, we honour fire safety and friendship,” said Thomas Jukes, Assistant Deputy Chief, Calgary Fire Department. “We’ve worked with Chief Two Guns and his team for many years, and our fire services continue to learn from each other. Our teams will increasingly depend on each other in the future with continued growth in population, wildfire risk and other factors that underline the importance of collaboration, prevention and shared response. Kidde continues to be a valued partner in our ongoing efforts to improve fire safety.”
Kidde’s contribution of smoke alarms to both fire services will help increase overall accessibility to potentially life-saving devices. The National Fire Protection Association has shown working smoke alarms can double the chances of escaping a home fire safely.
While fire safety knowledge and working smoke alarms are critical for all people, access to these resources is far from equal. As shown in a 2024 Statistics Canada report prepared for and sponsored by the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council, fire-related deaths have been found to be significantly higher among Indigenous people when compared with non-Indigenous people. One key factor behind this disparity is a lack of access to working smoke alarms.
“This isn’t just about handing over alarms, it’s about building meaningful partnerships that support long-term community safety. Working alongside Calgary Fire and Tsuut’ina Fire Rescue represents a powerful alignment of purpose: empowering people with tools, knowledge and trust to help prevent fire tragedies before they happen. We’re proud to stand together in this shared commitment,” said Nicholas Caldareri, Bilingual Marketing and Communications Specialist, Kidde.
This collaboration is an expansion of Kidde’s annual Cause for AlarmTM campaign, the brand’s global education program that aims to help make every home a safer home by bridging gaps in both access to smoke alarms and fire safety education. Through these partnerships, Kidde will be contributing nearly $400,000 CAD worth of smoke alarms to more than 16 First Nations communities across Canada to ensure families are equipped to detect fires early and escape safely.
Key Statistics
- In Canada, there are over 10,000 residential fires every year1, resulting in over 100 deaths2. Of these, one in ten unintentional fire-related deaths are youth3.
- One in seven residential fire-related deaths occurred in residences without a working smoke alarm3.
- Only 6% per cent of Canadians test their smoke alarm at the correct frequency and one in four (24%) Canadians didn’t know that smoke alarms expire4.
- About one in eight residential fire-related deaths (12%) among Indigenous people occurred in residences without a working smoke alarm, and this proportion was similar for non-Indigenous people. 5
- Indigenous people (20%) who died in a fire were more often involved in residential fires causing two or more deaths than non-Indigenous people (7%).5
About Kidde
Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories, has been keeping the world a safer place for over 100 years. Kidde produced the first integrated smoke detection system a century ago and continues its legacy today by delivering advanced fire-safety technology. Kidde is a part of Kidde Global Solutions, a global leader in fire and life safety solutions. For more information, visit kiddecanada.com or follow @KiddeCanada on Facebook and Instagram.
