GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The State Fire Marshal is stepping up efforts to stress the importance of having working smoke alarms in homes. This comes on the heels of a fatal fire, in Grand Rapids, that claimed the lives of a mother and her 3 sons.
Kevin Sehlmeyer, who is the chief advocate for fire safety in the state, said the deaths of Wanedia Scales and her sons Xavier Woleab, 15, Robert Scales, 13, Elijah Scales, 9, bring the number of fire fatalities in Michigan to 22 this year.
"Think about it, that's only 36 days," says Sehlmeyer. "Those are fatal fires across the state since Jan. 1. A lack of working smoke alarms is a common link to almost every one of those deaths."
Sehlmeyer says responding to fatal fires are the worst days of a fire fighter's career.
"That's why this is so important. We want to stress the importance of smoke alarms and escape plans. Working smoke alarms buy time to escape fires and can dramatically increases your family's chances of surviving a fire," he says.
Sehlmeyer recommends that people:
- Test smoke alarms monthly using the test button.
- Replace batteries annually or when the smoke alarm begins to chirp, signaling that the battery is running low.
- Make sure you have a smoke alarm in every bedroom or sleeping area and have one smoke alarm on every level of your home, including the basement.
- For added protection, consider a connected smoke alarm system, so when one smoke alarm sounds all the smoke alarms sound in the whole home.
- Hardwired smoke alarms are more reliable than those powered solely by batteries.
- Newer smoke alarms come with lithium batteries that can last up to ten years.
- Every ten years replace all your smoke alarms, or sooner if they do not respond properly when tested.
The City of Grand Rapids offers help to eligible residents through its Residential Safety Assessment Program.
Those that qualify can get a free fire safety check of their home as well as have free smoke and carbon monoxide alarms installed.
The goal is to reduce the number and severity of fires in the city. For more information, call 311 or 616-456-3000.
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