Letter: Deaf Fire Safety

Some of you have heard about or seen the fire at the apartment on Pandosy Street a few days ago.

Two of Deaf Okanagan Society (DOS) board members received a call from Emergency Social Services (ESS) at five in the morning and requested us to help a deaf person who was evacuated and needed support and assistance. (Thanks ESS. It is a big improvement to contact DOS to help.)

Unfortunately, the deaf person was sleeping when the huge fire came. 150 people had to leave their apartment when they heard the alarm, fire trucks and people yelling and knocking on everyone's door to get them out. She had no idea - couldn't hear. She informed me that she smelled smoke and decided to put on her slippers and robe and open windows and then she realized there was a fire in her building. The firefighters grabbed her out from her window. She was the last person out of the building.

She was a very lucky person that she can smell and no harm came to her from smoke, fire, or water hose.

It's disgusting that things haven't improved at all in BC for the safety of the deaf. DOS will continue to fight for the deaf community.

Arlene Brenner
Deaf Okanagan Society, President