October is Fire Prevention Month. The Illinois State Fire Marshall is working with the DuQuoin Fire Department and Camp I Am Me to provide free installation of smoke alarms during their Smoke Alarm Blitz.
More than half of the deaths in home fires happen in homes without a working smoke alarm. Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow says it's a message they repeat often, but it's as important now to have a working fire alarm as it's always been, "Fires burn hotter and they burn faster because of the type of materials that you now find in homes, right? And so it really reduces that time for residents to get out of the house."
To combat this problem of homes without working alarms, the Fire Marshall's office is working with local fire departments and Camp I AM ME to get alarms installed for free in Illinois homes as part of this year's Fire Alarm Blitz.
At a press conference Wednesday at the DuQuoin Fire Department, Illinois Fire Safety Alliance Executive director Philip Zaleski says the program has already seen plenty of success. So far they've put 50 thousand new smoke alarms in homes across Illinois with 160 new alarms in 62 homes in DuQuoin.
During their work they've found a quiet danger even in homes with alarms, "More than 70% of smoke alarms in homes that are receiving these new alarms are non functioning. 70%. This is a result of no batteries, dead batteries or the alarms are more than 10 years old."
During the fire alarm blitz, Fire Departments work with Camp I Am Me to get free alarms. Fire departments then install the alarms in homes around their communities. DuQuoin Fire Chief David Durkota says roughly 30-40% of DuQuoin homes are either missing alarms or need to have them replaced.
"One call and we'll make it happen. We bring the detectors, we bring the guys, we bring the screws. It's all taken care of."
DuQuoin residents can call the fire department's office line to sign up.
Call - 618-542-5600
If you think you might need to have your smoke alarm replaced, check with your local fire department to see how you can get help.
