Vernon firefighters are taking the message of safety to a local neighbourhood.
Firefighters will visit Holiday Park Mobile Home Park and Swanbrook Estates Oct. 15 from 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to encourage residents to test their smoke alarms and replace their batteries.
“Almost 70 per cent of houses that caught fire in B.C. last year didn’t have a functioning smoke alarm,” said Keith Green, fire chief.
“Children and the elderly face the highest risk of dying in a residential fire. We want to do our part to eliminate that risk.”
Firefighters will also replace old smoke alarms or install a new one if the resident doesn’t have one.
The smoke alarms are donated by Silver Star Rotary, Okanagan Restoration and Johnston Meier Insurance.
Working smoke alarms could reduce annual fire deaths in B.C. by as much as 32 per cent, said Green.
Research shows a link between working smoke alarms and reduced fatalities from residential structure fires. Fire damage was reduced by 19 per cent when a working smoke alarm was present.