CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – The Horry County Fire Rescue is raising awareness on fire safety for Fire Prevention Week.
One of their biggest topics is smoke alarms. Captain Mark Nugent with the Horry County Fire Rescue said it’s important to change the batteries, but it’s also important to check the date on the smoke alarm. He said if it’s more than 10 years old, you need to completely replace it.
“We’ve responded to fires where the smoke alarms either didn’t work or the house didn’t have any at all,” said Nugent.
Nugent said the Horry County Fire Rescue installed a smoke alarm for one Horry County family, and they ended up responding to that same house months later for a fire. Three out of four people living there survived, and Nugent said the smoke alarm made the difference by waking them up in the middle of the night.
“It saved several lives that night, and it was as simple as a $20 smoke alarm,” said Nugent. “You really need to have one of these in your home because it’s the cheapest life insurance policy you’re going to get.”
He also said doing a safety inspection of your house can help prevent fires and ensure that your house is prepared if a fire happens. “You don’t have to be a fire inspector to do an inspection at your home,” said Nugent. “You really have to get engaged where you live because the fire department only goes there after a fire has occurred.”
If you want tips from the fire rescue on avoiding kitchen fires, how to do a safety inspection at home, or how to make an escape plan for your home, you can click this link here.
