• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Fires/Accidents/Disasters / Fire Marshal says check the batteries in your smoke detector

Fire Marshal says check the batteries in your smoke detector

March 13, 2010 By Matt Kelley

Smoke detector

Smoke detector

Iowans are being encouraged to change the batteries in their smoke detectors this weekend as they set their clocks forward one hour for Day Light Savings Time.

State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds says there were 43 fire fatalities in Iowa last year and many of those lives may’ve been saved by a working smoke detector.

Reynolds says around half of fires involved a home of building that either didn’t have a smoke detector or the device failed to work because it had a dead battery or no battery at all.

 So far this year, seven Iowans have died in fires and five of those deaths occurred in a home without a working smoke detector. The early warning a smoke alarm provides could mean the difference between life and death. Reynolds says many people believe if there is a fire in their home, they’ll have several minutes to gather their valuables.

“Nothing could be farther from the truth,” Reynolds said. “In fact, in most fires you really have less than a minute or two minutes to get out of your house to stay alive.” Reynolds just recently took over as State Fire Marshal. Former Marshal Jim Kenkel retired. Reynolds says he plans to work closely with local fire departments on fire prevention efforts. He’s applauding one program in eastern Iowa.

“The fire department in Clinton is doing a partnership with their school district to replace or install smoke detectors in all the children’s homes in the school district. Those kind of fire prevention efforts go a long way,” Reynolds said.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Fires/Accidents/Disasters

Featured Stories

DOT plow crews struggling against blizzard conditions

Iowa delegation breaks along party lines on Trump impeachment vote

Two northeast Iowa men admit to illegally harvesting ginseng

Do you have to pay tax on your stimulus check?

All six in Iowa’s congressional delegation confirm Electoral College results

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Iowa State-Kansas postponed

Iowa-Michigan State postponed

Fire damage to Riverfront Stadium electrical system will cost Waterloo thousands

Iowa State at Kansas State postponed

Iowa State’s Foster to miss remainder of the season

More Sports

eNews and Updates

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Archives

Copyright © 2021 · Learfield News & Ag, LLC