Smoke alarms installed in Middelpos and George Kerridge

The project is aimed at combating fire related deaths in informal settlements across the Western Cape, and at the same time, assist in creating awareness about fire safety. The new smoke alarm system has a 10-year battery life and has been proven to detect smoke in less than 15 seconds. This will help raise the alarm of a fire danger quickly, lessen the level of smoke inhalation and in so doing, save lives.

The municipality received 198 smoke alarms from the Western Cape Government’s Disaster Management to be installed in high fire risk areas within the municipal area. The George Kerridge and Middelpos informal settlements were identified as high-risk areas, according to statistics generated by the municipality’s Fire Services Department.

Saldanha Bay Municipality’s Executive Mayor, Alderman Marius Koen urged residents present at the installation to continue being alert when it comes to fires. He encouraged them to memorise the fire services emergency contact number, and to report fires or smoke as soon as it may be spotted.

“It is critical that fires are reported as soon as possible, to ensure that our firefighters reach and react to them as quickly as possible.”

Smoke alarms in the home provide an important early warning of fire, allowing people additional time to escape. According to research, if there is a quick discovery of the fire, there is faster reaction time and a better chance of escaping and survival.

In the unfortunate event of a fire, contact the Municipality’s Fire Services Department on 022 713 1815 or on 086 007 3473.