MANSFIELD, Ohio – The distinct chiming of smoke alarms pierced the air at Madison City Mobile Home Park on Tuesday morning during Operation Save-A-Life, an initiative from the American Red Cross to install smoke detectors and spread fire safety awareness.
The Red Cross joined forces with the Madison Township Fire Department on Tuesday to provide fire safety education, batteries and free smoke detector installations in Madison City Mobile Home Park and Colonial Hills Mobile Home Park.
According to Katie Myers-Griffith, executive director for the Red Cross Lake Erie/Heartland chapter, the goal of Operation Save-A-Life is to reach populations in communities that are most susceptible to a home fire.
“By providing fire safety education and smoke alarms, we will greatly increase their chances of survival during a home fire,” said Myers-Griffith. “We know that smoke alarms save lives, so we want every home to have working smoke alarms so we don’t have fire fatalities.”
Operation Save-A-Life, part of the national Home Fire Prevention Campaign launched last year by the Red Cross, seeks to reduce the number of home fire-related deaths by 25 percent in five years. In a recent study, the Red Cross learned that many people mistakenly believe that you have up to five minutes to exit a burning home; in truth the number is closer to two minutes.
Myers-Griffith said the Lake Erie/Heartland chapter is tasked with installing 2,000 smoke detectors in the region. The goal in Madison Township on Tuesday was 250 installed smoke detectors with the help of the Madison Township Fire Department.
“We’re faced with the challenge of people being home and being receptive to the program, but we’re fortunate enough that the Madison Township Fire Department wanted to partner with us on this, so we get their expertise as far as where most fires happen in Madison Township,” she said. “We’re hoping by being on the ground with our Red Cross shirts and the fire department shirts people will open their doors for us.”
Brian Hall, public education coordinator with the Madison Township Fire Department, said the two mobile home parks were chosen for Operation Save-A-Life because of the increased risk when a fire occurs in a mobile home.
“When a fire breaks out in a trailer, you have very little time to get out; we’ve seen a lot of trailers that just go up once a fire starts,” said Hall. “An early warning will help them get out a lot faster.”
Myers-Griffith added the Red Cross would be recording home addresses and number of smoke detectors in each home to enter into the national fire database.
“We’ll be able to prove that smoke alarms save lives,” said Myers-Griffith. “When a fire happens in Madison Township in a certain location and the people get out safely because of their smoke alarms, we can say those smoke alarms saved lives. We’re really excited about that.”
Hall noted Operation Save-A-Life is also a great way for the fire department to be present among the community.
“It was something we needed to start giving back to our community, and this is a perfect way to do it,” said Hall. “We want to let people know we’re here, and to educate people. This is an education tool more than anything to let people know fires happen to everyone.”
For more information on the Operation Save-A-Life program, including how people can volunteer in their community, please visit http://www.redcross.org/neoosal or contact the chapter at 419-524-4254.
“When a fire happens in Madison Township in a certain location and the people get out safely because of their smoke alarms, we can say those smoke alarms saved lives,” Katie Myers-Griffith said.
