It was after several Bright Local students said they had never seen a smoke detector, Southern Highland Joint Fire District Chief Kevin Mosley said, that his firefighters decided to fix what they saw as a real problem.
Now, any household in the Bright Local School District that does not have one can receive a free smoke detector for each floor of their home if they fill out a short survey.
Mosley said the idea for the program developed last year when the fire district was conducting annual fire safety programs in the schools during Fire Prevention Week in October.
“Several kids with the group at different age levels said they had never seen one of those before,” Mosley said referring to a smoke detector. “I’m sure some of them don’t pay attention, but we took that pretty seriously.”
As a result, the fire district decided to use the proceeds from its annual October fundraiser – where they hold a chili supper and auction off donated baked goods – to purchase fire detectors.
Mosley said the district purchased 500 smoke detectors and has distributed a little more than 100 of them so far.
“Anyone within the Bright Local School District that needs a smoke detector, we’re willing to provide one per floor, or if they don’t have any that are not more than 10 years old, all we ask them to do is fill out a short and sweet form and then we’ll hand them a smoke detector until we run out,” Mosley said. “And if the community support is still there we’ll buy more and continue to pass them out until nobody needs one anymore.”
Mosley said that while the fire district’s normal coverage area includes the village of Mowrystown and Concord and Whiteoak townships, the smoke detector offer is good for anyone living in the Bright Local School District.
The survey can be filled out on the Southern Highland Joint Fire District’s Facebook page, where more fire safety information is available, or if someone does not have access to Facebook they can call the fire district at 937-442-1170 and leave a message. Mosley said someone will return the call.
All the survey asks is the name of the person filling out the form; the number of people in the household; the address; a phone number; how many floors are in the home; whether or not the home home as any working smoke detectors, and if so, how many; and how old the smoke detectors are.
“We appreciate the community’s continued support in getting this project underway and off the ground,” Mosley said. “Hopefully, the smoke detectors are never needed, but if they are, people will have them.”
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522 or [email protected].
