'Get a smoke alarm, get a smoke alarm, get a smoke alarm': Milwaukee fire chief pleads with community after child dies
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- City leaders stressed the importance of smoke alarms after a fire claimed the life of a 9-year-old girl.
"Get a smoke alarm, get a smoke alarm, get a smoke alarm," Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski said. "It seems like it's a battle we just can't seem to win. We'll give you the thing. We'll install it for you. All you got to do is call."
On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Chief Lipski and 9th District Alderwoman Laressa Taylor held a press conference to discuss the four fires that have happened over the last week, including the one that resulted in the death of 9-year-old Aria Jacque.
Lipski made his plea clear, saying everyone should have a working smoke alarm. He explained that two of the fires they responded to in the past week had non-functioning smoke alarms. He did not clarify if they were without batteries or if they were broken.
On Sunday, firefighters were dispatched to North Servite Drive around 11:30 a.m. Once there, Lipski tells CBS 58 that his team was met with difficulties as they tried to find a clear path inside to rescue Aria Jacque and her grandmother, described as an elderly woman. According to Lipski, one fire captain said it was hard to access and then physically create space to remove the elderly woman from the apartment.
The chief said their investigation shows that the apartment did not have a working smoke detector. He urged the community to get one, reminding the public that landlords are required to ensure their properties have them. If you need one, you can call the smoke alarm hotline at 414-286-8980, and Milwaukee firefighters will go to your home and install one free of charge. Lipski recommends checking your smoke alarm every six months.
He told reporters that fire safety is something the community should be cognizant of to potentially avoid tragedies like this.
"This is not a situation where it's appropriate for either party to just sit back and say this is somebody else's problem. We are talking about human lives," Lipski said. "Everybody has to have an investment. My God, everybody has to at least have an investment in their own life."
He said the cause of the fire that resulted in the death of Aria Jacque is still under investigation, but it does not seem to be suspicious.
During the press conference, Lipski mentioned the many shuttered firehouses that he says could have potentially responded to the fires had they been open. He praised Mayor Cavalier Johnson, who he said is doing uncomfortable work with lawmakers in Madison to help first responders.