SAN ANTONIO — The death toll from local fires this year is shocking.
After seven people died in the city of San Antonio and two more died in Bexar County, San Antonio Fire Department spokesman Joe Arrington said “Our job is to save people, not to recover bodies, so we need to stop this.”
Fire officials say in all of 2021, only 11 people died in fires. To be this close to that number in the first 70 days of the year is a sobering statistic.
Arrington said they want everyone to know that life-saving tips on fire safety, just to to their website.
The time to prepare for the threat of fire is now, Arrington said “If a house is on fire and we're responding? It's too late.”
With bitterly cold weather in the forecast, Arrington said it’s a critical time for people to check on family, friends and neighbors.
“Whether you have someone who has special needs in your family, or is potentially disabled or elderly, go check them! Make sure they know these safety points that we talk about,” Arrington said.
Acknowledging the emotional toll these sudden, unexpected losses have on families is a given, Arrington said, but he added this has been a hard year for fire personnel as well.
“It's not only a loss for a family when someone passes away, it's a huge toll on firefighters,” Arrington said.
Arrington said they want people to learn a simple acronym that could save lives. They call the initiative SCAN.
“The S is for smoke detectors,” Arrington said, adding that anyone who needs help with getting the life-saving device can call 211 and fire department personnel will deliver one.
Arrington said "The C in SCAN is for clutter. Have a clear path of escape," adding “Knowing that these deaths are preventable is the worst part for us.”
" A is for an action plan. Make sure your family has an escape plan to get out of your house," Arrington continued, adding “N is for neighbor, checking on each other and that's why we're telling the people of San Antonio we need your help. We need you to check on your neighbors.”
Arrington said there are helpful resources on their safety website for all ages. The San Antonio Spurs Coyote is featured in one of the videos for children, and there’s an animated feature that teaches kids about how to react if they hear a smoke detector sounding.