Montreal fire inspectors and CEGEP students were out in the community for a good cause on Saturday, knocking on doors to make sure that people have working smoke detectors.
Between 70 and 80 percent of people have at least one smoke detector in their homes.
For those who didn’t, the firefighters had some on hand.
“If they don’t have any, we will give them one,” said Louise Desrosiers of the Montreal Fire Department. “If they have a battery-operated one and the battery is not good anymore, then we will give them a battery to make sure they’re going to be safe tonight.”
The students were part of the Academy of Firefighters at CEGEP Garneau in Quebec City.
There have been several fires in the city in the last few weeks.
Last month, one ripped through a Longueuil apartment complex, killing three people and leaving one boy orphaned.
Desrosiers said that smoke detectors should be installed away from the kitchen.
“They need to have one smoke alarm on each floor,” she said. “With the new code, they need to put one in the bedroom too. We tell them that it’s a good idea to put one in the bedroom, especially if you sleep with your door closed.”
Their efforts were appreciated by residents.
“I’m happy because sometimes we might forget,” said Lise Levis, who lives in Rosemont. “We don’t think about it every day.”
