Smoke Alarms Installed in Poor Neighborhood
Firefighters in Busan are installing special smoke alarms in the houses of old people who live alone in the shantytown in Beomil-dong.
The alarm is installed on the ceiling of a room as with other alarms but emits repeated beeping warnings, loud enough to be heard by neighbors, when a fire breaks out.
The alarms were donated by a Lions Club, a worldwide charity organization, in the area.
The firefighters say that this will help others in the area to evacuate before the fire spreads and help save lives. The firefighters belong to the unit which is responsible for fighting fires in Busan Port.
The Beomil area is home to the old houses where the majority of residents are old and poor people. Because these houses are close to each other and poorly equipped against fires, it is feared that a blaze could turn into a major disaster.
"About 94 percent of houses and apartments in the United States are equipped with smoke detectors, while the installation of smoke alarms is mandatory in Japan," a firefighter said. "We hope that our effort to install the alarms here can reduce the losses of lives in the event of a fire."