Public needs to be reminded to check fire alarms

As stated in a previous story, an older lady was killed in a house fire started in the kitchen ("Firefighters find woman dead after fire that started in her kitchen," Nov. 30).

In the beginning of the article it seemed like an accident, but then I was startled by the statement that Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department said about the smoke detector. He stated that there indeed was a smoke detector but it wasn't in working condition.

As a resident of Simi Valley, I personally would want to be safe in my own house. The city should send out a monthly letter to every house informing all of the residents to check the smoke detectors in their house to see if they are in working condition.

This letter would hopefully give them a better opportunity to save themselves and their family. In the name of protecting the residents of California the state could help out cities to make sure that every home had up-to-date smoke detectors, and they could even work with the security companies to include detection programs that contacted the local fire department in all homes. Samantha Martinez Simi Valley