Brea : Fire Officials Warn of Equipment Sales Pitch

Brea fire officials are warning residents to be cautious of salespeople who have allegedly given misleading information about costly heat-detection devices.

At least three residents recently called the Fire Department after purchasing $3,000 heat-detector systems, Brea Fire Chief Jerry McDowell said. The residents said they were told by salespeople that the heat-detector system was the best type of early warning device in fires.

But a smoke detector, not a heat-detection system, “by far, is the best warning device,” McDowell said.

Smoke detectors can pick up “even the smallest particle of combustion” during the early stages of a fire, fire officials said. Heat-detection alarms are triggered by the heat of a fire. In most cases, people are killed by smoke toxic fumes from a fire.

McDowell declined to identify the company selling the heat-detector equipment. He urged residents to call the Fire Department at (714) 990-7655 if they have been approached by salespeople or have any questions about fire-warning devices.