By Wendy Holdren
The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — According to a recent Beckley Fire Department report, only 36 percent of the structures the department responded to in 2014 had smoke detectors, and of those, only 67 percent were operational.
“It was surprising the numbers were so high,” said Fire Chief Ed Wills.
The report said the department responded to 1,129 emergency calls throughout the year, including 44 structure fires and 297 emergency medical calls.
Fire loss was estimated at $962,500, but no fire-related loss of life was reported in 2014.
The majority of structure fires, 28 percent, started in the cooking area or kitchen.
“Through the years, we’ve gone through so many homes and it’s not uncommon for there to be no detector present, or for the batteries to either be dead or gone.”
Wills hopes to improve upon the number of homes with smoke detectors, and he hopes senior citizens in the area will take advantage of a free program offered by the fire department.
For senior citizens, ages 65 and older, who live in the City of Beckley, a member of the Beckley Fire Department will come to their home, install the needed amount of detectors and replace the batteries for them every six months.
“We would really like to push that program,” Wills said. “There are so many homes out there that we would provide this service for, but they’re not aware of it.”
For residents who do not qualify for this program, Wills said smoke detectors and carbon monoxide protectors can be purchased at local home improvement stores such as Lowe’s.
Smoke detectors typically cost $20 to $25, and carbon monoxide detectors cost around $30 or $40.
Wills especially recommends carbon monoxide detectors for homes with any kind of natural gas or propane utilities.
Installing these detectors are “critical,” according to Wills.
“I wouldn’t stay in my home without a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector. They save lives.”
He said at least one detector is needed on every level of the home, and some people may want a smoke detector in each bedroom, especially in larger homes.
Wills said he hopes to use the numbers from the 2014 report and improve upon them.
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(c)2015 The Register-Herald (Beckley, W.Va.)
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