Media Release
07 April 2004

Time To Stop The Tragedies

It is well past time for New Zealanders to take steps to stop tragic deaths from house fires says New Zealand First housing spokesperson Brent Catchpole.

This comes after the news that a six-month old baby died in a house fire in Blenheim this morning, which comes just weeks after a little boy died in a house fire in Murupara.

Mr Catchpole is concerned about the high number of tragic deaths, particularly of children, that could have been prevented by the installation of smoke alarms.

“It is difficult to express how sorry I feel when I hear about another fatality – we all feel for the families who suffer the unbearable loss of a child in a fire,” said Mr Catchpole.

“If every home had working smoke alarms many house fire deaths could be prevented.

“The New Zealand Fire Service has been trying to get the message across for years that smoke alarms save lives, but it’s not getting through.

“Smoke alarms for young families and the elderly should be free or heavily discounted.

“The cost of doing so is negligible compared to the value of our children’s lives,” said Mr Catchpole.

ENDS

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