West Kelowna firefighters have visited over 100 mobile homes – and found that 42% of them did not have a working smoke alarm.
The inspections were part of the Fire Prevention Week Campaign.
Of the 106 homes visited, 42% had either no smoke alarm or one that did not work or had expired.
For those homes found to not have working devices, the 51 firefighters installed 80 smoke and carbon monoxide alarms for free.
The firefighters also discussed with residents the importance of creating and practising an escape plan.
In a statement, West Kelowna Fire Rescue explained: "Home fires today can burn faster than ever. From the time the smoke alarm sounds, occupants have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely. Knowing how to use that time wisely takes planning and practice.”
It went on: "A home escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in close proximity to all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room; usually a door and a window with a clear path to an outside meeting place located a safe distance from the home.”
If you are unsure about your smoke alarms, call West Kelowna Fire Rescue at 778-797-3200.
If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.
If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.
