Safety of home security bars checked

Jace Radke

Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001 | 10:06 a.m.

A nonprofit housing corporation is joining community agencies and businesses to ensure that residents who have security bars on their homes also have emergency releases on the bars.

Gary Coles, a board member for the Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada, said that the idea for the program to ensure that residents can escape their homes in case of fire was born out of a recent fatal fire at 704 W. Monroe Ave.

"We saw the news reports about the fire where the victim was trapped inside by the metal security bars and thought that something should be done," Coles said.

Roosevelt Jones, 71, died in an early morning fire on Jan. 21 after becoming trapped in his house by metal security bars that didn't have safety releases.

Neighborhood Housing Services' program, titled Safe Home, will give grants and possibly low interest loans to low income home owners to install safety releases.

"What we're hoping is to work in the community to get donations to be able to help ensure that residents have security that is also safe for them," Coles said.

Coles, who owns a realty company, said that all of his agents will donate to Safe Home a portion of the money from every closing they make in the next six months. One area bank has agreed to donate about $2,000 to the program.

Installing safety releases on security bars can cost anywhere from $100 to $150 per window.

Neighborhood Housing Services hopes to be making repairs on security bars by March, but Coles cautions that the program is still in its infancy. Anyone interested in the program, or in volunteering to assist, can call 368-3300 for more information.