News

Fire departments giving out free smoke detectors

Any resident in need of a smoke detector can get one for free at any firehouse from Orient to Mattituck, said Antone Volinski, president of the Southold Town Fire Chief Council.

The council stresses the importance of having a smoke detector in every home as the holiday season approaches. In its campaign encouraging homeowners to change the batteries in their smoke detectors, the chiefs say they hope to prevent a tragedy, such as the August house fire in Southold that took the lives of mother and daughter Kathryn and Barbara Primich.

The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke alarms are worn or missing batteries, the chief say.

The International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing home smoke alarms every 10 years. Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are considered the best devices to detect all types of home fires.

[email protected]