By WVUA 23 News Student Reporter Caleb Aguayo
You could hear the smoke alarms beeping from house to house last week, but there was no smoke or flame in sight.
That’s because the Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue conducted an annual “smoke alarm blitz” Oct. 11, where local firefighters checked and replaced old smoke alarms in a randomly chosen Tuscaloosa neighborhood.
Tuesday’s blitz was in Wood Village Mobile Home Park. Firefighters went door-to-door and asked residents about their smoke alarms. Some said theirs were fine. Others had theirs replaced free of charge.
TFR Lt. Tony Lester said their goal is to motivate families to get their smoke detectors checked and ensure they have an action plan in the event of a fire.
“Every family needs to have a plan of escape in case of an emergency,” Lester said. “They need to have two ways to get out of the house. You need to have a meeting point after you get out of the house. It may be the mailbox, it may be the vehicle out front, just a central location. Because when we get there, our first priority is making sure everybody’s out of the house.”
Lester said Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue will check and change smoke alarms in Tuscaloosa for free. They will also answer any questions residents may have.
To request a free smoke alarm or smoke alarm check, call 205-248-5420.
If you don’t live in Tuscaloosa, contact your local fire department.