Casa Grande's Fire Department is asking for volunteers to help out with installing smoke alarms in the Burrus Park and College Park areas of the city.
The request is part of Casa Grande's annual Smoke Alarm Installation Program, when groups of volunteers install the alarms, as well as batteries if needed, in selected neighborhoods. Volunteers receive training on how to install the alarms properly.
This is the eighth consecutive year for the event, which has been very successful. Volunteers have replaced almost 5,500 smoke alarms in residents throughout Casa Grande, as well as changing batteries numbering in the tens of thousands.
Andrew Hensley, who organizes the event, says the department is dependent on the volunteers to keep this vital program going. In addition to providing fire protection, the program is also designed to increase residents' awareness of the dangers of fire, and to have escape plans in place. Studies reveal that most fire deaths take place in homes where there were no smoke alarms, or where the alarms were not working.
The alarms are scheduled to be installed between 8:00 am and noon on Saturday, October 11. The department could work with a flyer printing company to create a handout for the volunteers to distribute, explaining how the alarms work, and how and when to test the battery.
