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Firefighters battle early morning apartment fire - WRCBtv.com | Chattanooga News, Weather & Sports
While some residents of Battlewood Apartments look to replace all of their belongings, Debra McCord will only need a new door.
"It's not bad, her apartment is fine," said McCord's daughter, Mary Dennis, "it could have been a lot worse."
Debra is deaf, and has been since she was born.
For that reason, she didn't hear the fire alarms sounding Wednesday morning.
Her daughter says she hates to think what could have happened if the fire spread.
"She didn't hear it," said neighbor Mary Shearer, "they had to get in there to her."
Neighbors beat on Debra's door, but it took firefighters breaking through for her to know her building was on fire.
They found her asleep in her bed.
"It scared her to death when she had someone coming in there and grabbing her up," said Sabrina Bates who lives next door and lost everything in the fire.
By law, subsidized housing must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, by installing smoke detectors with strobe lights.
Battlewood Apartments has 150 units. Debra's home and 122 others are subsidized.
The property owner told Eyewitness News, Debra's apartment included an ADA compliant smoke detector.
"We had one of our security contractors come out and install it," said Chip Griffin, "we don't really install those ourselves, we let them come out and do it so its done right."
But Mary Dennis says her mother only has a strobe doorbell.
"If there would have been a smoke detector with a strobe light she would have known there was a fire," said Dennis, "and she would have gotten up."
The close call prompted the complex to test the alarm.
While there is a light on the unit, it is very dull.
Debra didn't want to go on camera, but through her daughter told Eyewitness News she won't feel safe until the alarm is replaced.
"If there was a strobe light I'd be a lot happier," said Dennis, reading her mother's sign language, "I'd feel safer."
Dennis says a new detector would help her feel better about leaving her mother alone.
"This will get taken care of," said Dennis, "I'm just glad my moms okay."
The owner of Battlewood Apartments says the complex was under the assumption that Debra's unit was ADA compliant.
Still, they are replacing the smoke detector in her apartment.
Until that happens, Debra is staying with her daughter.
While some residents of Battlewood Apartments look to replace all of their belongings, Debra McCord will only need a new door.
"It's not bad, her apartment is fine," said McCord's daughter, Mary Dennis, "it could have been a lot worse."
Debra is deaf, and has been since she was born.
For that reason, she didn't hear the fire alarms sounding Wednesday morning.
Her daughter says she hates to think what could have happened if the fire spread.
"She didn't hear it," said neighbor Mary Shearer, "they had to get in there to her."
Neighbors beat on Debra's door, but it took firefighters breaking through for her to know her building was on fire.
They found her asleep in her bed.
"It scared her to death when she had someone coming in there and grabbing her up," said Sabrina Bates who lives next door and lost everything in the fire.
By law, subsidized housing must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, by installing smoke detectors with strobe lights.
Battlewood Apartments has 150 units. Debra's home and 122 others are subsidized.
The property owner told Eyewitness News, Debra's apartment included an ADA compliant smoke detector.
"We had one of our security contractors come out and install it," said Chip Griffin, "we don't really install those ourselves, we let them come out and do it so its done right."
But Mary Dennis says her mother only has a strobe doorbell.
"If there would have been a smoke detector with a strobe light she would have known there was a fire," said Dennis, "and she would have gotten up."
The close call prompted the complex to test the alarm.
While there is a light on the unit, it is very dull.
Debra didn't want to go on camera, but through her daughter told Eyewitness News she won't feel safe until the alarm is replaced.
"If there was a strobe light I'd be a lot happier," said Dennis, reading her mother's sign language, "I'd feel safer."
Dennis says a new detector would help her feel better about leaving her mother alone.
"This will get taken care of," said Dennis, "I'm just glad my moms okay."
The owner of Battlewood Apartments says the complex was under the assumption that Debra's unit was ADA compliant.
Still, they are replacing the smoke detector in her apartment.
Until that happens, Debra is staying with her daughter.