Smoke detectors could have saved lives in recent fires
Posted January 25, 2011 10:02 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SURREY (NEWS1130) – Surrey’s fire chief says more people are recognizing the importance of smoke detectors. But devices that weren’t working may have saved lives in recent fatal fires.
Chief Len Garis says that may have been the case in two of the last three, including one where a 20-month old twin girl was killed. “We could hopefully say that had they been functioning, there possibly would have been an opportunity for them to escape sooner and possibly with their lives.”
Overall, he adds says the necessity of smoke detectors is becoming better understood.
As part of a city survey, fire crews inspected and re-fitted buildings with smoke detectors in seven key neighbourhoods.
Thanks to prevention, Garis points to a 50 per cent drop in the number of fires since 2008, compared to years before and average fire losses have been cut in half.
