The Barry County Fire Association and Barry County United Way would like to remind residents that the free smoke detector program is still going on throughout our community. “This program can provide the first alert to getting out of a home when fire is eminent”, says Hickory Corners Fire Chief Mark Iles. A grant from the Pennock Foundation and Hastings Kiwanis made these detectors available for free to qualifying households.

The applications will be available at MainStreet Savings Bank, Township Offices, Commission on Aging, Coleman Insurance Agency, The Chamber of Commerce, The Barry County United Way office, and your local fire departments or use the form located on this page. You may also access an application on-line at www.bcunitedway.org or www.hastings.mi.us. Once the application is filled out and returned to Barry County United Way or your local fire department, firefighters will call to set a time to inspect your home for smoke detector placement. While there they will install additional smoke detectors as needed and check the batteries on current detectors. The firefighters will leave a brochure with the home owner explaining how to set up a fire escape plan. “The smoke detector will provide the first alarm, but knowing how to get out and where to go are just as important,” says Freeport Fire Chief Jim Yarger.

“We have been surprised by the number of homes with one or less detector. In the last year 327 homes have been inspected, 799 devices installed, and 26% of the homes had no working detector. These are much larger numbers than anticipated when the grants were applied for,” states Lani Forbes of the Barry County United Way.

“It’s great that we received these grants to provide this program, if we can save one life it will be wonderful!” says Dave Middleton, Thornapple Fire Chief. According to the NFPA, the vast majority of fatal fires (60%) occur in homes without smoke alarms. A majority of those deaths that occur in homes with smoke alarms are a result of dead or missing batteries.

The Barry County Fire Association would like to also remind you of a few other fire related issues.

With heating bills soaring this winter there is a concern about using alternative heat sources that are not safe. The Fire Association reminds you to make sure that any alternative heat sources that you may use are rated for use indoors and are properly vented.

When you change your clocks this Saturday, don’t forget to change the batteries and test your smoke detectors.