Deaths from residential fires have plummeted in BC since smoke alarm campaign
Posted October 2, 2015 12:36 pm.
Last Updated October 13, 2015 10:41 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Fire deaths have dropped significantly in this province since a campaign to bring smoke alarms to those most in need.
A study on the BC Smoke Alarm Movement’s success indicates a 65 per cent drop in deaths at residential homes. It’s believed the program has saved 27 lives.
“It’s the at-risk and most vulnerable people we treated with those 41,000 smoke alarms,” says Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis. “So it didn’t take a lot of effort in the scheme of things, given that there’s a population of more than four million people in British Columbia.”
Garis is also taking the opportunity to remind you to check your smoke alarm.
“Test your smoke alarm and make sure it works,” says Garis. “Check the date on your smoke alarm, and if it’s older than 10 years old, have it replaced.”
Garis was a co-author of this report put together by the University of the Fraser Valley.
