By Robert Lalah, Staff ReporterTHE LIVES of the two children who perished in a fire on Sunday could have been saved if some basic safety guidelines were followed, Barrington Nugent, assistant superintendent of the Fire Prevention Division of the Jamaica Fire Brigade, said
yesterday.
Six-year-old Paul Tulloch and his sister Sharbrina Brown, two, were burnt to death when fire gutted their five bedroom home at Shelly Avenue in Duhaney Park, St. Andrew.
LOCKED IN THE HOUSE
The children had been left locked in the house which was secured by iron burglar bars and gates which they had no way of opening.
"Locking children in the home by themselves is absolutely wrong," Mr. Nugent said. "I cannot emphasise this enough."
He said: "If the home has burglar bars, then it is essential that everyone in the home knows where the keys are. The key that opens the lock of the exit point should not be on a bunch, but should be by itself so that it can be easily grabbed."
SAFETY CONSCIOUS
Superintendent Nugent noted that children tend to mimic the behaviour of their parents. This he said, makes it essential for adults to be safety conscious at all times.
"Adults must also ensure that their children know that they should not play with matches or any kind of naked light," he said. "Gasolene and other flammable liquids should not be stored in breakable containers either."
Supt. Nugent added: "All cigarettes should be put out before going to bed, because this can easily cause a fire."
He said, "The main thing is that children should not be left at home alone."
