Since April the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department has installed 471 smoke alarms free of charge for residents across the county who didn’t have one.
It’s part of the “Get Alarmed Tennessee Smoke Alarm Program” by the State Fire Marshal’s Office to prevent home fire deaths in Tennessee.
Using grant funds awarded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the State Fire Marshal’s Office purchased 20,000 smoke alarms for distribution to fire departments in the state. Under the grant program, fire departments who participate are to install these smoke alarms in at-risk homes.
“The response has been fantastic here in DeKalb County. I believe it has been a huge success and I think it will continue to be a success as long as we can continue to get these smoke alarms,” said Brian Williams, Station Commander of the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department’s Main Station.
“The County Fire Department has installed 471 smoke alarms (this year) and I have just picked up another 102 (to be installed), ” said Williams, who is responsible for installing the smoke alarms. “Most of the response is from elderly people. The oldest person we have served is a woman in Alexandria who is now 100 years old. She had never had a smoke alarm in her life. She was very thankful that we took the time to install a smoke alarm just for her safety and well being,” said Williams.
While many elderly persons have taken advantage of the free smoke alarms, the program is for anyone in need. “It’s for everybody. Anybody without a smoke alarm or without a properly working smoke alarm is considered at high risk. If you have a smoke alarm and it is ten years old, which is what is considered the shelf life of a smoke alarm, then it needs to be replaced,” said Williams.
Unlike many of the smoke alarms that are available in stores, those being installed by the county fire department are powered by a battery that doesn’t have to be changed twice a year. “We encourage people to get on board with these ten year smoke alarms,” said County Fire Chief Donny Green. “It doesn’t require any maintenance. We’re always reminding people to change batteries in their smoke alarms during the fall and spring with the time change but with these alarms you don’t have to do that. All you have to do after they are installed is just keep them clean. They will be there to serve for ten years. After that they will start chirping. It’s an audible alarm to let you know that the end of the shelf life of that smoke alarm is approaching and that it needs to be replaced,” said Chief Green.
The smoke alarms available under this grant program are not just for residents in the rural areas. Chief Green said the county fire department will also provide them to city dwellers. “These are available to anybody. If you don’t have a smoke alarm or if the one you have is ten years old or older you are at-risk and we want to provide you a new one. It doesn’t matter where you live in the county. If it’s Alexandria or the City of Smithville, Dowelltown, Liberty, or wherever it is you live in DeKalb County, you are eligible to get these smoke alarms,” said Chief Green.
The program also allows fire departments to receive, while supplies last, a limited amount of bed shaker alarms designed specifically for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. Priority for these specialty alarms is given to those who cannot afford to purchase the devices on their own. The county fire department has installed two bed shaker alarms this year in DeKalb County . “Smoke alarms are great but if you are deaf or can’t hear good they may not wake you,” said Chief Green. “With a bed shaker, you still have smoke alarms in your home and the alarms will sound off if you have a situation where there is smoke in the house. The alarm then sends a signal to a monitor that is set up on this bed shaker. The audible signal from the smoke alarm goes to the monitor. The monitor is connected to a round ball that goes underneath your bed mattress. When that monitor receives that signal from the smoke alarm, it activates the bed shaker and through an intense vibrating motion underneath the mattress, it wakes up the person in bed. These bed shaker alarms also have a flashing light,” said Chief Green.
Although hundreds have been served in DeKalb County, Chief Green said many more persons locally should take advantage of this free service because it could save lives. “If you know someone who needs a smoke alarm, help us spread the word. These alarms are free and we install them for free. We will not ask for a donation when we come to your home. We only ask that you let us put in these smoke alarms so that everyone in your home can be safer,” he said.
“It’s not only a safety feature for the public, but for the fire department as well. If someone is trapped in a home or needs to be rescued, we’re putting our firefighters at great risk by going into a house to try and rescue someone that might not have been alerted (by not having a working smoke alarm). But if they do have an alarm and can get out safely, then we’re not putting our firefighters at that kind of risk. It’s a dual benefit to the public and the firefighters,” Chief Green continued.
If you would like a free smoke alarm from the county fire department, contact Station Commander Brian Williams or Chief Donny Green. “It’s simple to make the request. All you have to do is call us and tell us your name, your address, and phone number and we’ll get you on the list. We make every effort for those who sign up for this program to let them know who is coming to their house, when we will be there, and when you can expect us. Brian has done all of our installations. Anytime he is out doing this, he has on some kind of shirt that has one of our official logos on it. He will always introduce himself. But more importantly, before he comes to your home, he will call you and say, “My name is Brian Williams, you have requested a smoke alarm, and I am on my way there and you can expect me”. That way you know nobody is going to show up at your door unannounced and you don’t have to wonder who it is,” added Chief Green.
Call Station Commander Brian Williams at 615-330-4066 or County Fire Chief Donny Green at 615-464-7176. You can also message them on Facebook. “We have a Facebook page, DeKalb County Fire Department, and if you want to request a smoke alarm on there you can go to our Facebook page and put a message on our wall or you can send us a private message on there,” Chief Green concluded.
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