New Britain credits fire prevention drive, free smoke detectors for making city safer

The rate of fires in New Britain has been dropping in recent years, and city officials believe a renewed fire prevention program may be part of the reason.

Firefighters went to 255 building fires in 2019, compared to 411 four years earlier, Chief Raul Ortiz reported.

“There has been a downward trend, and we’re hoping to reduce that even more,” Ortiz said Friday.

The fire department has restarted its Quick Strike fire prevention campaign, and Ortiz believes that has been playing a role in keeping down the number of apartment and house fires. The drive was started years ago by then-Chief Mark Carr, but was dropped sometime afterward. Ortiz brought it back when he became chief in 2018.

Days after fire strikes in a neighborhood, firefighters from the nearest engine and ladder companies go door-to-door along nearby streets to talk with tenants and homeowners about fire safety. They hand out fire prevention brochures, offer to install free smoke detectors and ask permission to do a quick walkthrough to check for fire hazards.

“When there’s a fire in a neighborhood, that’s an opportune time for us to educate people about fire prevention because it’s fresh in everyone’s minds,” Ortiz said.

“Usually our firefighters go on a Saturday between 10 and 1, when people are home,” he said.

If firefighters spot blocked exit doors, overloaded wall sockets, obviously frayed wiring or other warnings, they talk with the homeowner or tenant about ways to correct the problem.

"We’re not trying to be there as an enforcement agency. It’s better to talk with people and explain how they can comply, tell them ‘You know what happened down the street -- you don’t want that to happen here, right?,’ " Ortiz said.

Firefighters started with about 3,000 smoke detectors two years ago, and have handed out about 2,500 since then. The fire department will be applying for a grant to purchase more.

“We know some people think they never need this," Ortiz said. “But one day if you do need it and it isn’t there, there, s no turning back.”

During the home visits, firefighters also encourage people to sleep with bedroom doors closed if possible. Having a barrier to smoke and flames increases the chances of surviving a middle-of-the night fire, he said.

City firefighters also recommend that tenants purchase renter’s insurance. New Britain has a lot of rental housing, and one large fire -- such as the Allen Street apartment building blaze last year -- can leave dozens of people with no possessions, Ortiz said.

Don Stacom can be reached at [email protected].

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