The Insurance Council of Texas (ICT) has distributed 2,000 smoke alarms to fire departments in 20 Texas cities this fall during its annual We’re Out to Alarm Texas smoke alarm campaign.
This life saving campaign is adding three new cities to the list of fire departments who receive the smoke alarms. This year’s effort coincides with Fire Prevention Week (Oct. 8-14).
“The smoke alarm program started as a joint effort between ICT and the State Fire Marshal’s Office which has strongly supported the use of smoke alarms,” said Mark Hanna, a spokesman for the Insurance Council of Texas. “At first, we sought cities that had experienced a number of fire fatalities, but we’ve have since tried to reach out to fire departments in every corner of the state.”
ICT has distributed more than 20,000 smoke alarms since the program began in 2005. The program continues to grow through the financial assistance of The Travelers Insurance Companies, State Farm, the Association of Fire and Casualty Companies of Texas (AFACT) and First Alert.
This year, we are adding the fire departments in Bastrop, Robstown and Terrell. Hanna and State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy will hold news conferences in each city to announce the start of campaign which is a first-come, first serve program for seniors and others wanting a free smoke alarm.
In addition to the new cities, these cities have also received smoke alarms this year: Odessa, Laredo, Wichita Falls, Travis County, Lufkin, Potter County, Galveston, Mission, Rivers End, Bonham, Farmers Branch, Amarillo, Haltom City, Little York, Burnet, New Braunfels and Conroe.
The First Alert smoke alarms are equipped to detect heat and smoke and contain a built-in 10-year lithium battery. Firefighters in each city install the smoke alarms and point out possible fire hazards in each home.
In its first year of operation, We’re Out to Alarm Texas saved three lives when elderly residents in New Braunfels and Waco were rescued by firefighters after being alerted, by donated smoke alarms, to fires in their smoke-filled homes.
The insurance industry wants to make sure Texans are able to protect themselves and their property from fire. These free smoke alarms, and the effort to educate about the importance of having a smoke alarm in your home, are an easy and effective tool to prevent loss of life and property.
Source: ICT
Topics Texas
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