Program Allows LRFD Personnel to Go Door-to-Door to Test and Install Smoke Alarms

(Monday, May 4, 2009) – “State Farm likes to promote itself as a good neighbor in its advertising,” said Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola. “With this grant today to help the Little Rock Fire Department expand its ‘Save a Life’ program, State Farm is showing that message is not merely a slogan, but a commitment to the community.”

These remarks were made at a check presentation as State Farm presented the Little Rock Fire Department with a $5,000 grant to expand the “Save a Life” program.

“There are many things that citizens can do to help the Fire Department,” noted City Director Michael Keck. “Having working smoke alarms is one key thing. However, we know that some people are unable to afford them. That is why ‘Safe a Life’ is so important.”

The Little Rock Fire Department and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) members, in an effort to address the recent fire deaths will be going door-to-door in the neighborhood of the most recent fire incidents to make sure residents have working smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms are critical to home fire safety because they alert us to fire in its early stages. Even more important, they can alert us to a fire when we are most vulnerable - when we are asleep at night. According to the United States Fire Administration in 2007 83.5% of all civilian fatalities occurred in the home and 82 % of those occurred in single-family residences.

Little Rock recorded seven fire fatalities in 2008 and within the first few weeks of 2009 the City recorded four fatalities. The majority of the home fire victims in the nation died in homes without a working smoke alarm. The smoke alarms were not working, usually because batteries were dead, disconnected, or missing.

Interim Little Rock Fire Chief Delphone D. Hubbard noted, “The presence of a working smoke alarm doubles your chances of surviving a fire, and our program will ensure that more of our residents have that protection.”

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