SAN ANTONIO - We are constantly reminding people to check and replace the batteries in their smoke detectors. If you live in an apartment, it is your responsibility as the tenant to do this, and it could save your life in a fire.
But a News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters investigation of San Antonio apartment complexes found some smoke detectors that were too old, or not working properly. We even came across some apartments that had no smoke alarms at all.
We began this investigation after a toddler was killed in an apartment fire last month. It's common for apartment tenants to claim they never heard a smoke alarm during a fire, but the parents of the little boy killed at the Whispering Oaks apartments are actually suing the complex, alleging that the detectors didn't work.
The fire department says it cannot determine that, because the smoke alarms were destroyed in the fire. But the Trouble Shooters uncovered some new information about the smoke alarms at Whispering Oaks, and it got us to wondering about the condition and age of smoke detectors at other apartment complexes around town.
Our investigation airs Wednesday night, November 11th, on News 4 WOAI at Ten.
We'll also have information you may not have known about the reliability of your smoke detector. Information the apartment management companies didn't know either.
