Free Smoke Alarms Installed in Dozens of Homes
Akron Fire Department personnel joined Red Cross volunteers and staff on Wednesday, November 4th to install more than 150 free smoke alarms in nearly 60 homes in North Akron.
The Akron Fire Safety Walk was similar to efforts recently undertaken in Barberton, Canton and Madison Township. The neighborhood was pre-canvassed, meaning residents were notified in advance that they’d have the opportunity to have qualified personnel perform a fire safety inspection in their homes, and where necessary, have smoke alarms installed free of charge.
“We installed 156 alarms in the North Akron area with help from the Akron Fire Department,” said Rachel D’Attoma, Executive Director of the American Red Cross Summit, Portage and Medina Counties Chapter. “In addition, many of our board members and corporate partners were on site to help as well. Making this whole neighborhood safer was a true community effort.”
Photo Credit: Gwen Bochman/American Red Cross Volunteer
Volunteers who donated their time and expertise included representatives from Bober, Markey, Fedorovich, FedEx, Dominion, Ruhlin and BDO, in addition to personnel from the police departments of the city of Akron and the University of Akron.
We call the effort to install smoke alarms in areas most vulnerable to home fires Operation Save-A-Life. The goal is to reduce the number of fatalities from home fires nationwide by 25% over a five year period.
Another Fire Safety Walk is planned next Tuesday, November 10th in Cuyahoga Falls. But residents of Summit County don’t have to wait until their neighborhood is targeted for an Operation Save-A-Life event. They can call the Smoke Alarm Hotline at 330-535-2030 to schedule an appointment for a for a free fire safety inspection and free smoke alarms where needed.
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