The Oak Forest Fire Department is working cooperatively with the nonprofit Illinois Fire Safety Alliance and Office of the State Fire Marshal to provide no-cost smoke alarms to the first 15 residents to visit their table at the Community Expo at Arbor Park Middle School on Saturday, October 19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Oak Forest firefighters will schedule an installation time with the residents who receive smoke alarms.
The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm Installation program provides smoke alarms and fire prevention materials to Illinois fire departments in an effort to both educate residents on fire safety as well as to provide them with life-saving devices in their home. The program was developed to educate residents on the dangers of fire, how to prevent fire from occurring in the home, and to ensure there are working smoke alarms properly installed in homes. By utilizing 10-year concealed battery smoke alarms, it ensures that the power source cannot be removed from the unit and, if properly maintained, will last the life of the device.
“Smoke alarms are the most effective early warning device there is,” says Oak Forest Fire Chief Gary Kasper. “By merely having a working smoke alarm in your home, it reduces your chance of dying in a reported fire in half. Our goal is to make sure residents have the protection of a smoke alarm. Because smoke alarms alone won’t prevent every fire death, our program includes educating residents on how to create a home fire escape plan so they know what to do if their smoke alarm sounds.”