Local Red Cross installing smoke detectors Saturday
Published 11:07 am Wednesday, March 22, 2017
The local American Red Cross and Winchester Fire-EMS are teaming up to distribute and install free smoke detectors Saturday.
The Home Fire Campaign is designed to install detectors in homes and prevent more fires.
“We hope to install 100 to 150 alarms,” said Red Cross Kentucky Division Disaster Program Manager Steve Powell said. “Our goal is to have 40 volunteers. We’ll be happy with 20, but we’re shooting for 40.”
Beginning at 9 a.m., volunteers will fan out in the community. Fire officials are targeting a couple neighborhoods with a strong history of fires.
“We had a map made of all the fires in the last five years,” Winchester Fire-EMS fire marshal Gary Henry said. Based on that information, he said they will target homes around Hill Street and Holly, Cook and Linden avenues. Another neighborhood on their list is around Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama streets. If there’s time, they may go to College Street, he said.
Firefighters and volunteers will go door to door and offer to install smoke detectors free of charge, Powell said.
Residents can also request a detector in advance or on Saturday morning, Henry said.
“I think it’ll be a good thing,” Henry said.
“We’re excited about what’s going on around there,” Powell said.
The program is funded by the Clark County Community Foundation. Sekisui will provide bag lunches for the volunteers.
For more information or to request a detector, call Winchester Fire-EMS at 744-1587.