ROSWELL — Residents in one Roswell neighborhood now have new smoke alarms after crews spent Saturday morning going door to door, checking homes and replacing outdated detectors for free.
What happened: On Saturday, 11 teams fanned out across the Liberty Square subdivision from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., visiting 161 residents across six streets: Worthington Hills Manor, Worthington Hills Trace, Worthington Hills Court, Parkmont Drive, Liberty Knoll, and Liberty Trace. Teams spent about 30 minutes in each home, walking through the house, installing new alarms where needed, and talking with residents about how to get out safely if a fire starts.
By the numbers: 101 smoke alarms were installed across 34 homes. All alarms were provided by the American Red Cross.
Why this neighborhood: Officials chose Liberty Square using a community risk assessment that looks at factors including the age of homes. Smoke alarms expire after about 10 years, so older homes are more likely to have detectors that no longer work. A working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a home fire in half, and many home fire deaths happen in homes without one.
“A working smoke alarm gives a family the time they need to get out. Our Community Risk Reduction team uses data to plan our outreach across the city, and events like this let us meet families where they live,” said Brian Wolfe, the fire department’s community risk reduction division chief.
Roswell Fire Chief Pabel Troche said: “Everyone who took part came with one goal: making homes in our community safer. I am proud of this team, and grateful to the residents who welcomed us into their homes.”
If you need an alarm: Roswell residents who were not home Saturday or who live elsewhere in the city can get a free smoke alarm installed by calling the American Red Cross at (470) 961-2945.
What to know about smoke alarms: Officials recommend testing alarms monthly using the test button, making sure a working alarm is on every level of the home, inside each bedroom, and outside each sleeping area. Families should also have a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room and a meeting spot outside, and practice it at least twice a year.
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
