In 2003 there were approx. 1,200 deaths in Belarus as a result of House Fires. The victims were mainly children who were sleeping whilst their alcoholic parents dozed off with lit cigarettes. In the villages the houses are made of wood with no fire warning systems.

Now many of the children return home with smokes detector for their homes. We encourage the Host Families to buy them instead of toys and presents. If possible the detectors should come with a ten year battery.

A form is completed with the Belarussian family name and address and sent to Victor Mizzi. The form is then faxed to the Department of Fire Services in Belarus who appoints a firman to go to the address to install the detector correctly. The main aims for this routine is so that (a) they are installed in the right place, and (b) to remove any temptation for them to end up in the market during desperate times.