Fatal Pennsylvania Fire Spurs Smoke Detector Drive

SHENANDOAH, Pa. -- Members of the Shenandoah Fire Department are spearheading a program designed to make sure every occupied home in the borough is equipped with a smoke detector.

Rick Examitas, secretary of the department and a borough fire marshal, said the Safe and Sound Shenandoah effort is in direct response to the fatal fire in the 100 block of East Coal Street in the early morning hours of March 27.

He said the kickoff of the program was held on April 3 at both the Shenandoah Valley Elementary Center and the Trinity Academy Elementary School.

In 2009, more than 3,000 Americans died in fires and more than 17,000 injuries were reported, according to statistics compiled by Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner.

Of those deaths and injuries, more than 2,500 fire deaths and 13,000 injuries were reported in residential structure fires.

Examitas said that firefighters are trained to fight fires and attempt to save property to the best of their ability but that training never readies a firefighter for loss of life.

"All of the training they endure never prepared our firefighters for that fateful morning on March 27th where we lost four beautiful lives," Examitas said. "The emotional toll of this experience is immeasurable to our firefighters."

"In order to honor Tiffany, Cristian, Damien and Aziah, the Shenandoah Fire Department wants to ensure that every home in our borough is equipped with at least one working smoke detector," Examitas said referring to Tiffany Matejick Sanchez, 29; her son, Cristian Sanchez, 10; and her nephews, Damien Lopez, 10, and Aziah Hernandez, 7 months, who perished in the March 27 blaze.

"While our investigation was unable to conclude whether or not their home had a working smoke detector, we know that smoke detectors do save lives and therefore we want to do everything humanly possible to be sure that our community does not experience another tragedy like this."

State police fire marshal Trooper John F. Burns of the Frackville station said Tuesday the exact cause of the fire has not been determined.

He said additional interviews are scheduled for later this week.

The U.S. Fire Administration's Topical Fire Report Series, Fire Risk to Children in 2007, says that it is an unfortunate fact that children, ages 4 and younger, face an elevated risk of injury or death in a fire when compared to older children and very young children are typically dependent to some degree on others for their safety.

"It is for this very reason that the Shenandoah Fire Department chose to focus the kickoff of this campaign with the children of our borough," Burns said.

Letters were sent home to parents with every elementary school student in the Shenandoah Valley School District as well as Trinity Academy prior to the Easter break.

Through these letters, Examitas said, parents were informed of the importance of having at least one working smoke detector in their home.

He said the letter also informed parents that if they did not have at least one working detector, they should complete the provided request form and return it with their student to school or drop it off at the Shenandoah Borough Hall.

The Shenandoah Fire Department, in partnership with the Fire Prevention Committee of the Schuylkill County Fire Chiefs Association and the Schuylkill County Firefighters Association, worked with WNEP16 Operation Save a Life and was able to obtain several cases of smoke detectors for distribution.

Examitas said that while supplies are limited, the department is working on various avenues to obtain additional supplies.

He said smoke detectors will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis and a waiting list will be developed to handle requests when additional detectors are obtained.

Any request form received will be assigned to a member of the Shenandoah Fire Department Smoke Detector Committee and firefighters will be in contact with those requesting detectors to schedule a home visit and install the new detector.

The Department asks that only homes with no working detectors make a request through this campaign and that residents be patient as the requests are filled.

For more information on smoke detectors visit the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner at www.osfc.state.pa.us or the Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.gov.

Copyright 2012 - Republican & Herald, Pottsville, Pa.

McClatchy-Tribune News Service