“Sound the Alarm” Helps Residents Replace Smoke Alarms

The Red Cross partnered with fire departments to put on the event

WEST FARGO, N.D. — The American Red Cross teamed up with fire departments in the FM area to help people replace the smoke alarms in their homes.

Groups of volunteers went door–to–door installing free smoke alarms, replacing batteries, and helping residents create escape plans.

“We look at areas of the community that typically are on a fixed income, and areas that need smoke alarms, the intent is that we provide them with the product and the batteries, so we have functional smoke alarms in every home,” said Jason Stein, Red Cross chairman and volunteer.

Firefighters say many people don’t check on their detectors as often as they need to.

“A misconception on smoke detectors is that they’ll last forever and they don’t. Batteries of a smoke detector have a life expectancy of around seven years,” said Dell Sprecher, West Fargo Fire Marshal.

That isn’t the only misconception.

“It’s not the fire that kills people. It’s the smoke that’s poisonous. People believe they’ll smell smoke when they’re sleeping. They can’t. All that smoke’s going to do is make you sleep longer,” he said.

People in West Fargo say they’re glad volunteers are taking the time to prevent dangerous situations.

“I think it’s real good, it’s nice people do things like that, you don’t see that that often, it’s nice to meet the guys from the West Fargo Fire Department that we never see,” said Fred Rodriguez, a West Fargo resident.

The Red Cross says they installed over three hundred alarms over the weekend throughout the area.

They worked with premier sponsors Border State Electric and Sanford Health and also partnered with fire departments in Fargo, Moorhead, and Casselton.