Smoke Alarm Blitz This Weekend

 The St. Louis Fire Department will conduct a smoke alarm blitz on Saturday, March 10, 2012 and Sunday, March 11, 2012. Firefighters will be going door-to-door installing approx. 2,600 smoke alarms, 1,300 each day.

 

The St. Louis Fire Department Smoke Alarm Program was established in August of 1984. Since its inception, the program has been funded almost entirely by donations. In addition to private donations, this program is currently being funded through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The program provides smoke alarms, free of charge, to any owner-occupied home in the City of St. Louis. 

                                                                                                                                          

Since August of 2006, the department has installed 20,080 smoke alarms in 9,312 homes, protecting 22,226 citizens. During that time frame, there have been 178 fires reported in households that have participated in this program, resulting in approximately 473 lives potentially being saved. The smoke alarm program, along with other community outreach efforts, has allowed the City of St. Louis to realize less than 10 civilian fire fatalities a year over the past six years. Last year there were three fire fatalities in the City of St. Louis, where comparably sized cities are somewhere in the teens.   

 

Any city resident in need of a smoke alarm may contact the St. Louis Fire Department Headquarters, Monday – Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.  at (314) 533-3406.