Smoke Alarms
New Zealand First spokesperson for internal affairs Brent Catchpole MP said today “It is difficult to express the real
sorrow we all feel for the families who suffer the loss of a child in a fire. I am very concerned about the number of
tragic deaths particularly amongst children many of which could be prevented if parents or caregivers were aware of the
dangers of fire and in every home working smoke alarms installed.
“The New Zealand Fire Service has been trying to get the message across for years that smoke alarms save lives, but it
is not getting through. We need to step up awareness of this simple precautionary measure so that every home has an
alarm as a matter of course. This goal would be assisted greatly if smoke alarms for young families and the elderly were
free or heavily discounted. The cost of doing so is negligible compared to the value of our children's lives.
“With Daylight Saving changing this weekend it would be a good opportunity to check that smoke alarms are in good
working order and to install a smoke alarm if you do not already have one,” Mr Catchpole said.