Hoosier Uplands, Mitchell VFD To Hand Out Free Smoke Detectors

Last updated on Tuesday, January 10, 2017

(MITCHELL) - Mitchell Volunteer Fire Department with the help of Hoosier Uplands will hand out more than 200 free smoke detectors to those who don’t have any.

Hoosier Uplands donated 204 of the devices and a supply of 9-volt batteries to the City of Mitchell in an effort to improve fire safety in the community.

Fire Chief Tyler Duncan says firefighters will install the smoke detectors if needed.

You don't have to live within the city limits to get a free smoke detector.

To get a smoke detector, call (812) 849-5161 or stop by Mitchell City Hall, 407 S. Sixth St., for more information.

The National Fire Protection Association recommends homes requires a smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. According to th NFPA, 78 percent of all fire deaths occur in home fires. One structure fire was reported every 63 seconds in 2015.

Smoke alarms provide an early warning of a fire, giving people additional escape time.

In 2009-2013, smoke alarms sounded in more than half (53%) of the homes fires reported to U.S. fire departments.
Three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38%) or no working smoke alarms (21%).
The death rate per 100 reported home fires was more than twice as high in homes that did not have any working smoke alarms compared to the rate in homes with working smoke alarms (1.18 deaths vs. 0.53 deaths per 100 fires).
In fires in which the smoke alarms were present but did not operate, almost half (46%) of the smoke alarms had missing or disconnected batteries.
Dead batteries caused one-quarter (24%) of the smoke alarm failures.

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