Page 40 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 92

40 Issue #92 September 2020 www.sportsenergynews.com

911 Checking In with Our First Responders

Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services

Platoon Commander Lee Montford

The Move Over Law in Ontario

Cornwall SDG Paramedics spend their careers tending to your health, often in scary, sudden, or emergency
incidents. You can help paramedics and other fi rst responders do their jobs safely by moving over.
incidents. You can help paramedics and other first responders do their jobs safely by moving over.
Ontario’s Move Over Law states that if you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck stopped on your side of the road
Ontario’s Move Over Law states that if you see an emergency vehicle or tow truck stopped on your side of the road

ashing, you must:
with its lights fl
with its lights flashing, you must:
• • Slow down: Slow down to less than the posted speed limit.
Slow down: Slow down to less than the posted speed limit.
• Pass with caution: Proceed with caution.
• Move over: If the road has two or more lanes, you must move over and provide a lane of space between your vehicle and the emer-
gency vehicle.

The penalties for failing to move over can include fines, demerit points, and even jail time. Here is a breakdown:

• First offence: A fine between $400 and $2000, plus 3 demerit points.

• Additional offences: A fine between $1000 and $4000, possible jail time of up to 6 months, possible suspension of driver’s license for
up to two years.
Being convicted of failing to move over can have an impact on your driving record and could cause your auto insurance premiums to in-
crease as a result.
Tips for Reacting To Emergency Vehicles
• Stay alert: Avoid driving distractions and keep your eyes on the road at all times.
• Be cautious: Always approach emergency vehicles with caution - you never know what could happen. Give them space to operate.
• Use your signals: Always use your signal when you intend to make a lane change to move over for emergency vehicles.
• No sudden movements: Avoid braking suddenly or making a sudden lane change. Check your blind spot and assess road conditions
before changing direction or speed.
Cornwall SDG Paramedic Services would like to thank you in advance for ensuring the safety of our dedicated health care professionals.
Stay safe!

Cornwall Fire Services

with Deputy Chief Jeff Weber

Snuff Out Smoking

Smoking is a common cause of house fires in our community: many smokers choose to throw
Smoking is a common cause of house fi res in our community: many smokers choose to throw
away their cigarettes improperly.
away their cigarettes improperly.

If the danger of fire wasn’t reason enough to be cautious when lighting up, consider that smoking is the number one
re wasn’
If the danger of fi
t reason enough to be cautious when lighting up, consider that smoking is the number one
cause

cause of fatal home fi res in Ontario.
of fatal home fires in Ontario.

Earlier this year, 12 Cornwall residents were displaced due to a fire caused by careless discarding of smoking materials. This hardship
was unnecessary and could have been avoided with the responsible disposal of cigarette butts.

You, or the smokers in your life, can take some simple actions to prevent fires and fire deaths:
1. Smoke outside.
2. Never smoke in bed.
3. Extinguish cigarettes in large, deep ashtrays that can’t be knocked over.
4. Empty ashes into a metal container (NOT the garbage can) and put the container outside.
5. Do not extinguish cigarettes in plant pots. Plant pots often contain peat moss, shredded wood, and bark which can easily ignite.
6. To prevent smoking fires, you must be alert. You will not be alert if you are sleepy, have consumed alcohol, drugs, or medicine that

makes you drowsy.
7. If people have been smoking in your home, check behind chair and sofa cushions for cigarette butts before going to bed.
8. Ensure that smoke alarms are installed on every storey of your home and outside of sleeping areas.

Let’s take this one step further – consider quitting smoking. The Province of Ontario has resources to help you
quit. Visit www.smokershelpline.ca or call 1-866-366-3667 for support. You can also download “Break it Off”, a
free mobile app to help young people quit.