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11 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,A pril 8,2021 insidehalton.com Peace of mind for your family Locking the doors to your home is no guarantee of safety from dangers that may be hiding within its walls. This may sound like a horror movie trailer but it's really a cautionary tale about electrical safety and how to prevent preventable, potentially catastrophic, residential fires. Statistics show that faulty electrical wiring is a major cause of house fires. Tim Birnie, president of Birnie Electric Ltd., is committed to revealing those dangers andmaking homes safe through his company's Home Safe program. Tim's father Peter Birnie established the company as an industrial and commercial electrical contractor more than 53 years ago. The expansion into the residential market was sparked by a desire to eliminate fire risks in homes. Since initiating the Home Safe service 10 years ago, Tim says; "It's beenmy passion. I find it so satisfying that we can give people peace-of-mind-of-mind-of and eliminate these dangers." Tim and his team have developed an innovative inspection that utilizes state-of-e-of-e-of the-art and non-invasive equipment like circuit analyzers, infrared thermography and other diagnostic tools to find electrical hazards that could cause a fire. Warning signs that an assessment is urgently needed include outlets or switches that don't work, are warm to the touch or emit a burning smell. You'You'Y ve also got electrical problems if breakers trip or fuses blow,w,w lights dim or bulbs burn out. Homes with aluminum or knob-and-tube wiring should also be inspected for potential risks. The Birnie Home Safe Program has three steps starting with a no-cost home assessment. An expert will assess the home, listen to the homeowner's concerns and point out potential issues. The next step is the electrical risk assessment that involves a full day of non-invasive testing by a fully licensed and highly trained electrician to uncover hazards. Homeowners receive a report that includes recommended electrical updates. The third step is to repair the problems identified and make the home's electrical systems safe. Home Safe also offers standby emergency home generators as a Generac dealer and provides innovative smart devises and LED lighting solutions. TimandhisHomeSafe teamhavepresentednumerous seminars that feature special guests including fire department representatives and other home safety experts. In lineline wiwithth thethe ccompaompannyy'ss rigrigororousous CCOOVID-1VID-199 sasaffeetyty prprototococols,ols, thethe frfreeee seseminarminarss araree now offered online. Pre-register at the Home Safe website ismyhomesafe.ca for the next seminar onWednesday,y,y April 14 at 7:00 p.m. It's like an MRI for your home Electrical Contractors YEARS+ 2209 Dunwin Drive, Mississauga, ON L5L 1X1 905-569-1818 x 240 birniehomesafe.com www.concretetrimmings.com CONCRETE FREE ESTIMATESESTIMATESESTIMA 905-844-5518 1-888-944-5518 uality At Its Best! Call Fernando 1-888-944-5518 www 1-888-944-5518 •• DRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWDRIVEWAAAAAYSYSYSYSYSAYSAAYSA •• FRENCHFRENCHFRENCHFRENCHFRENCHFRENCHFRENCHFRENCH CURBSCURBSCURBSCURBSCURBSCURBSCURBSCURBS •• PPPAAAAATIOSTIOSTIOSTIOSTIOSTIOSTIOSTIOSATIOSAATIOSAATIOSA •• STEPSSTEPSSTEPSSTEPSSTEPSSTEPSSTEPSSTEPS •• WWWALKWALKWALKWALKWALKWALKWALKWAAAAAYSYSYSYSYSAYSAAYSA •• GARAGEGARAGEGARAGEGARAGEGARAGEGARAGEGARAGEGARAGE FLOORSFLOORSFLOORSFLOORSFLOORSFLOORSFLOORSFLOORS ExposEd aggrEgatE (pebble) BEHIND THE CRIMES Solved and Unsolved Cases in Ontario Our journalists revisit the crimes that dominated headlines in our communities. INSIDEHALTON.COM/BEHINDTHECRIMES Area residents are being advised of a scam that has resurfaced -- with a twist -- in the region. Halton police report that the victim will receive a phone call from an un- known number where the caller claims to be from the Canada Revenue Agency and advises the victim they owe money. The victim may also re- ceive a phone call from (905) 825-4777, the number as- signed to the Halton Region- al Police Service (HRPS). The caller will claim to be a police officer and advise the victim there is a warrant for their arrest. The caller will then de- mand a monetary payment from the victim, in the form of Bitcoin, in order to avoid arrest. It appears as though the phone calls are being routed fraudulently through the HRPS phone number, known as "spoof- ing." Be advised that neither the CRA or HRPS will de- mand payment of any type over the phone nor will they demand that payment be made in Bitcoin. If ever in doubt, contact police for assistance at (905) 825-4777. Please safeguard your- self and your loved ones by discussing these scams and what to do when a call like this is received. If you sus- pect you have been contact- ed by a scam, hang up im- mediately. BEWARE OF PHONE SCAM: POLICE A phone scam has resurfaced in Halton. Metroland file photo NEWS