Joe Laurendeau: Smoke detectors gave him peace of mind that pets would be safe

To The Daily Sun,

The story of the fire at Laconia Motorcycle Week headquarters on Christmas morning added a sad note to  a very sad year worldwide. It is a local tragedy with far reaching heartbreak for those who visit during bike week. Along with the loss of material items was the loss of the office cat named "Ashland." I have two sled dog rescues from "Muddy Paw Sled Dog Kennel" in Jefferson, NH. These dogs were like wild animals never have seen the inside of a house with a family. Since then a cat, two guinea pigs and a rabbit have been added. When leaving the house, with all those pets inside I felt uncomfortable knowing that in the event of a fire, the animals would be trapped. Last year I purchased two wireless smoke alarms for about $80. If one alarm sounds the other one will sound as well. I put the one inside the home and the other on the outside of the home. With neighbors not very close, the exterior smoke alarm will sound and alert neighbors, possibly helping the survival or the pets.

After the fire at Laconia Motorcycle Week headquarters I started Googling smoke alarms again. It's a miracle! For less than $40 I purchased a 9-volt battery, with a sensor that connects to my cell phone and an alarm on my phone will sound. Several tests have worked perfectly and I am  relived to have this piece of mind. Some reviews say the battery can last 3-5 years. One review said 23 months, but that is well worth $40. The app on my phone tells me "everything is ok" and displays the battery life! It works in any 9-volt smoke amd carbon monoxide detectors or you can add the smoke detector with the battery at getroost.com If I need to call 911, I can explain that there are pets inside, something the fire rescue wouldn't know otherwise and now I carry the smoke alarm with me everywhere I go in my cell phone! So just in case there are people out there like me, and didn't know about this pets and property insurance policy, is certainly worth sharing, as an inexpensive lifeline to all the pets who are home alone. Keep your pets safe and pass it around!

The Laconia Motorcycle Association story has been added, in a few paragraphs, to a newly updated, Lakes Region NH, book of spiritual, supernatural and inspirational stories including Meadowbrook concerts, Space Shuttle Challenger, Red Sox 2003-04, St. Joseph's Church, Laconia, Gilford Methodist church, Indian Head Carving, Putnam Fund concerts, Pumpkinfest, and more with color photos. Amazon set the price but I can get them for much less. The book is updated, "hot off the press" with reflections of COVID-19, racial tensions, the Christmas Star 2020, Comet Neowise 2020 and much more. Lots of details at facebook.com/cosmicthebook Book #2 is in the works for 2021 and beyond. To order a copy, contact me on Facebook.

Joe Laurendeau

Laconia