Members of Whitfield County CERT, American Red Cross, and Whitfield County Fire Department start at Heritage Park for briefing before going to locations to install nearly 500 smoke alarms over two Saturdays.
Firefighter Cody Ruddell (right) and a member of the Red Cross talk to a couple of residents before installing a smoke alarm at their home.
Lt. Jason Azbill (left) and Firefighter Ethan Chance install a smoke alarm.
Firefighter Cody Kendall (left) and Engineer Taylor White reach high to install a smoke alarm.
Engineer Kyle Lawless (left) uses a drill to install a smoke alarm, with help from Firefighter Carter Thames.
The American Red Cross and the Whitfield County Fire Department, with help from CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) conducted a door-to-door drive along several local roads to install 474 smoke alarms in local homes, with 222 installs on June 13 and 252 more on June 20.
"A few batteries were switched out but very few compared to the number of homes which actually needed the alarms,” said M.J. Baker Scott, disaster program manager, American Red Cross of Northwest Georgia. “All residents received fire safety education, and roughly three-fourths received tornado safety education. Great job, everyone.”
Stations 1, 2, and 10 targeted Frontier Trail, Santa Fe Trail, Overland Trail, Cheyenne Trail, Cattleman Drive, Chisholm Trail NW, Chisholm Circle, Abilene Trail, Tellico Drive, Rolling Meadows Road, Discovery Lane, Jefferson Drive and Crystal View Court.
Stations 3 and 8 visited Wooten Drive, Gay Street, Scobie Avenue, Mary Lane, Dowing Street, Crook Road, Maria Drive, Stanley Street, Nashville Street, Jeff Drive, Jerome Drive, Robbie Drive, Eric Court, Lyle Lane, Tommy Drive, Chris Drive and Old Glade Road (from Walnut to By-Pass).
Stations 4 and 5 traveled to Shady Drive, New Drive, Lillian Drive, Smith Springs Drive, Spring Hill Road, Cox Road, City View Road, Waco Drive, Randolph Way, Waverly Drive, East Ezzard Avenue, Dale Avenue, Old Rome Road, Douglas Street SE, Belle Avenue, Fannie Street, Sagebrush Way, Mayo Street, Arnold Street and Maurine Drive.
Stations 6, 7, and 9 helped West School Street, South Lakeshore Drive, Handcar Way, North and South Center Street, South Midway Drive, McCauley Drive, North and South Cherokee Circle, North Lakeshore Drive, Academy Street, Montgomery Drive, East School Street, Cemetery Street, Jordan Street and Smith Circle.
The effort was part of the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, which aims to save lives, reduce injuries and build more resilient communities through raising awareness, facilitating preventative actions, and fostering community participation.
The Red Cross has 250 more alarms, so a third drive is planned in Whitfield County on Saturday, Aug. 8.
The national goal is a 25 percent reduction in home fire deaths over the next five years. Since the national campaign began in October, at least seven lives have been saved as a result of residents being alerted to a home fire by campaign-installed smoke alarms.