Photo: Contributed

Surrey fire chief Len Garis (L) with John Gignac.

B.C. fire prevention officers have been urged to push for a law making it mandatory for a carbon monxide alarm to be installed in every home.

John Gignac, a former firefighter in Ontario, spoke Thursday at a firefighters seminar in Vernon.

He made CO alarms his “mission” following the death of his niece and her family from carbon monxide poisoning.

“It's honoring my family members who have passed away,” Gignac said of the Hawkins-Gignac Foundation for CO Education, established after the deaths of the four relatives. “And this has helped my family by focussing on helping other people.”

What Gignac would like to see in B.C. is a law, similar to that of Ontario, where homeowners must install a CO alarm.

“There are no ifs, ands or buts,” Gignac insisted.

He said the foundation could do a lot to help firefighters' efforts in this province.

“By helping them get the law passed for starters,” said Gignac. “We can be a formidable team and get them to get the government to do this quickly.”

Gignac has offered to return to B.C. to speak to any group, to lobby the provincial government to have the law passed as quickly as possible and to supply expertise in writing the law.

“We need to educate people about the dangers of the silent killer.”

Gignac and Surrey fire chief Len Garis led the seminar, with Garis focussing on CO poisonings in B.C.