Mobile Fire-Rescue and Lowe's to Give Away Smoke Alarms

Sep 7th, 2007

Mobile Fire-Rescue Department and Lowe’s Home Improvement are partnering to provide free smoke alarms in the Mobile area.

On Monday, September 10, beginning at approximately 10 a.m. firefighters and employees from the Lowe’s store located at the 151 East I65 Service Road South will be at the Dumas Wesley Community Center, located at 126 Mobile Street, to give away the free smoke alarms. The alarms will be given on a first come, first serve basis while supplies last.

Beginning at approximately 2 p.m. Mobile firefighters and Lowe’s employees from the 7760 Airport Boulevard store will be going door to door in the Mobile Terrace area to give away smoke alarms to those in need of an alarm while supplies last.

Roughly 70 percent of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. Smoke alarms are the great safety success story of the 20th century — but only when they're working properly.

Making sure that homes are equipped with working smoke alarms is only part of the solution. Families must also know what to do when the alarm sounds. They must have an escape plan and practice that plan.

Because fire can grow and spread so quickly, having working smoke alarms in the home can mean the difference between life and death. But these life-saving devices are only effective when they're working properly. Smoke alarms with batteries that are dead, disconnected, or missing can't alert you to the dangers of smoke and fire. Ensure that your smoke alarms are installed correctly and tested regularly.

Once the alarm sounds, you may have as few as two minutes to escape. By learning how to effectively use the smoke alarm's early warning to get out safely, you'll reduce your risk of dying in a home fire.