Fire department, volunteers partner to install smoke alarms
Volunteers and firefighters teamed up to distribute smoke alarms in neighborhoods alongside Chelsea Road last Saturday.
The Red Cross and Lions Club worked with the Bella Vista Fire Department, Red Cross volunteer Linda Morgan explained.
She works extensively with the Red Cross and house fires are a frequent and devastating problem — but smoke detectors can save lives, she said.
“One of our biggest disasters are house fires,” she said. “We have had a lot of saves with the smoke detectors we’ve put in.”
Morgan said she appreciated the fire department and volunteer help.
Anyone who needs a detector should check the Red Cross smoke alarm distribution website, getasmokealarm.org.
Fire Chief Steve Sims said the fire department had six or seven people participating.
“It’s just a good thing for the community,” he said.
Lions Club member Ken Swanson was coordinating the smoke alarm distribution — a task he said was fairly difficult.
“It’s a great project,” he said, noting it’s in line with other volunteer projects the club tackles.
After volunteers filtered out onto the streets and started knocking on doors to see who needs a smoke alarm, Bob and Patsy Boyntown agreed to have a pair of detectors installed in their home.
“I think it’s a very, very good service,” Bob Boyntown said. “I really appreciate them.”
His detector recently failed, he explained, and he hadn’t made it out to get a replacement yet.
Patsy Boyntown spoke with volunteers about general fire safety as well. She got some useful pointers, like having a fire plan, she said.
“It’s a wonderful idea and a wonderful safety measure, so I really appreciate them taking the time to do it,” she said.