Vandergrift fire officials and volunteers are on a mission to spread fire-safety awareness throughout the borough.
Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Department Nos. 1 and 2 launched the “Sound The Alarm” campaign, sponsored by the American Red Cross, to provide free installation on June 4 of up to three smoke detectors in any residence in East Vandergrift or Vandergrift.
“This is a great part of the prevention effort,” said Mike Reilly, a volunteer firefighter for VFD No. 1. “As much as people think we join the fire service for the excitement, we would rather be bored.”
According to the Red Cross, home fires claim seven lives nationally on a daily basis, but having a working smoke alarm in a home can reduce the risk of death by 50%.
“If the program avoids even one major house fire that destroys a family’s dreams, then it has more than paid for itself,” Reilly said.
VFD No. 1 Chief Randy Dunmire said the program was launched in November, and about 150 new smoke alarms have been installed.
There are no requirements or restrictions to sign up for the detectors.
The event is part of a national fire-safety campaign effort to install thousands of free smoke alarms. To date, more than 2.2 million free smoke alarms have been installed nationally.
The program, initiated in 2014, is funded by donations from Erie Insurance, FedEx Ground, MSA Safety Co., EQT, UPMC and UPMC Healthplan, said Red Cross Executive Director Tessie Amaranto.
The program is offered in 61 counties in Pennsylvania.
Dunmire pointed out that not all homes in the borough are properly protected in the event of a fire. Vandergrift ordinances require all rental and multi-residential properties to have smoke detectors, but that doesn’t necessarily happen, Dunmire said.
“This very important program provides early notification and can save lives,” Dunmire said. “We’re concerned because many of the fire calls we go on in Vandergrift, we discover homes with smoke detectors containing no batteries or they don’t work.”
Volunteers from VFD Nos. 1 and 2 and the Red Cross will work in teams of three to provide installation of the smoke detectors from noon to 4 p.m.
During the installation, a fire member will provide brief fire safety information to members of each residence.
Each smoke detector is a 10-year model, powered by sealed lithium batteries that provide continuous protection without requiring annual battery changes.
Participants must sign a form acknowledging the installation of the detectors, and volunteers will wear masks if requested by the resident.
Dunmire recommends homes have at least one working smoke detector on each floor.
Residents can call 833-315-0882 to schedule an appointment.
