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NORWALK, Conn. Fairfield County fire chiefs see a pattern: deaths, injuries and property damage caused by malfunctioning smoke detectors, careless smoking and incorrectly discarded fire ashes, even after the tragic Christmas day fire in Stamford.
To that end, officials gathered Friday for a rare get-together: Chiefs and fire marshals from 15 Fairfield County fire departments met at a Norwalk fire station to get the point across, listing a series of fires within the past year that could have been prevented. "We have connected the dots and they tell a somber story," said Norwalk Fire Chief Denis McCarthy. "Our neighbors are dying from carelessness, from ignorance of basic safety concepts and apathy."
"I think the fire service is pretty tired of coming to these tragic events," said Wilton Chief Paul Milositz, adding that part of protecting families is to prevent fires from happening.
"We have a society that has not learned lessons from our past problems, our past fires," said Easton Fire Marshal Peter Neary.
Traditionally, fire departments have reminded people to check the batteries on their smoke detectors at the turnover into daylight saving time. This time, the chiefs have a more basic message, and they are not assuming batteries are all that is needed.
"We all believe that there has been a fundamental shift," McCarthy said. "The shift is that smoke detectors are not being maintained."
People are busy and distracted and don't have an awareness of safety. Attitudes have changed.
"We remember when smoke detectors were new, and there was great emphasis on installing smoke detectors in every home," he said. "State laws were passed, building codes were enforced and every residence got a smoke detector. They have aged and deteriorated over time. They have become a nuisance because they were misplaced in the home: Too close to the kitchen, too close to the shower."
People take the batteries out for a toy or a remote control, and they don't put them back. "When in the '80s we felt that every home was detected, we're finding now that in homes that we go to they're not protected. I think that that is a significant change."
Bridgeport Fire Marshal Bill Cosgrove said it wouldn't hurt to exceed the building codes. People should sleep with their bedroom doors closed, he said. But if all they have is a smoke detector outside the door, they're in trouble. "By the time the fire gets big enough to burn down the door to get to that smoke detector, whoever is in that bedroom is too late," he said. "So go above the minimum, put one on the inside and the outside. ... For the price of a fast food lunch you can protect your family."
"There are smoke detectors on the market now that have a 10-year battery," McCarthy said. "We highly recommend those, especially in apartments where tenants that come and go." Research shows that smoke detectors installed in the 1980s have a 10-year shelf life, and they need to be replaced.
Norwalk Fire Marshal Glenn Iannacone had another topic on his mind: Since July 1, careless smoking has started seven fires in Norwalk. In the recent Oakwood Avenue fire, the man who had been smoking was awakened by a working smoke detector in time to get out and alert his neighbors.
He recommended another cheap accessory: a $20 metal bucket for fireplace ashes.
Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Robert Kick said two fires have occurred in his town since Christmas, when five members of Stamford's Badger family died in a blaze started by improperly placed fire ashes.
One Greenwich family put ashes in a box, took it outside and dowsed it with a garden hose. Three hours later, the outside of the garage caught fire, which spread to the attic. Another family carried ashes out in a bag, took it outside and dumped it, and brought the bag back to the hearth, which later caught fire. The house had no smoke detectors and was significantly damaged.
He said, "Message is, make sure you use the proper container when cleaning out your fireplace and have working smoke detectors."
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