- Teen is
taking Action
- Wilmington,
Delaware
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- Wilmington teen Gene
Dzielak has come up with a productive response to the
death of four children who perished in a fire as they
slept in January.
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- The Salesianum
student plans to survey residents in his own
neighborhood, Union Park Gardens, to find out who has
smoke detectors and when their batteries were last
changed.
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- There were no working
smoke detectors in the dead children’s home. And
although they were home alone that night, fire officials
believe they might have escaped the fire had smoke
detectors been working.
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- That’s what
inspired Gene. "I read about in the paper," the
15-year-old said. "I wanted to do something."
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- The fatal fire
started on the first floor and spread to the second
floor, where the children were asleep in one bedroom in
their Riverside home. Marquita Lloyd, the children’s
mother was indicted and faces up to 20 years in prison
for leaving them alone the night of the fire. Though
saddened as anybody by the deaths, whether Lloyd should
be punished was not an issue for Gene.
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- Gene learned fire
safety from his grandfather, a retired firefighter. What
he learned helped him recognize an opportunity to do a
project such as this one.
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- If you live in
Gene’s neighborhood, you may get a visit from him
sometime soon. And if he isn’t at your door, one of
13 other Eagle Scouts who are helping him with this
safety project will be there. You may already have heard
from Gene; he and two helpers distributed fliers
announcing plans for the survey.
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- The teens are asking
three questions:
- 1. How many smoke
alarms do you have in your home ?
- 2. Where are the
alarms located ?
- 3. Do you have any
idea the last time you checked the batteries ?
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- Gene plans for each
survey taker to go over city codes relating to smoke
detectors with residents and provide telephone numbers
people can call to get free smoke detectors and batteries
if they need them.
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- There’s at least
one house he doesn’t have to check; his home. Gene
said there are three smoke detectors in his home, one on
each floor. And his parents consistently change the
batteries with the switch from standard to daylight
savings time.
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- But there are about
600 other homes in the neighborhood and Gene wants to
make sure his neighbors are afforded early warnings of a
fire by smoke detectors. Gene will compile the
information he gathers and turn it over to the fire
department.
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- Lt. Jim Ford, of the
city fire marshall’s office is thrilled with the
project and has already offered support. He met with Gene
to explain the laws regarding fire detectors, such as
location, placement and the number needed in a given
home. He also suggested Gene encourage people to develop
a fire escape plan. Gene plans to do that.
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- When the survey is
done, on-duty firefighters will contact people who need
detectors or batteries and will even install them.
There’s no charge for either. Ford sees this as a
model other kids can use. Gene feels the same way.
"Hopefully other people will do this kind of survey
in their own neighborhoods," he said.
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- Berlinda Bruce
- Copyright 1996,
The News Journal, Wilmington, DE
- Posted for
Non-Profit Educational use under the Fair Use Provisons
of the InterNational Copyright Laws.
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