Beckley, WV (WOAY) October is National Fire Prevention Month, and as many start turning on heaters and lighting fireplaces this fall, it’s a great time to make sure all the smoke alarms in the house work properly.
Captain Chris Graham, fire marshal of the Beckley Fire Department, wants everyone to know that multiple programs in the area offer free smoke alarms and installation—because when there is a fire, every second counts.
“In all actuality, if it’s a true fire, you have less than 2 minutes to get out of your home safely when that smoke detector goes off. So early notification gives everybody a chance to get out and get out safely.”
Graham said that in newer homes, modern materials can ignite more quickly than many people realize. Graham says he has seen disastrous consequences of smoke alarm neglect.
“We’ve had house fires—you’d look at the detector and the battery was missing because when the battery starts to die, it will chirp, and people get a noise, so they just pull it out and they forget to replace it. So now they make these ten-year detectors; they have a battery that will last for ten years, so you don’t have to worry about changing them. So we recommend those.”
Graham says the Beckley Fire Department offers free smoke detectors for those in the area who may have trouble installing them on their own:
“The fire department bought some; we have a program for elderly people or people with disabilities. They can call 304-256-1780. That’s station one. And if they request smoke detectors, we will come out and put them out.”
For those outside the Beckley area and those who don’t qualify for the fire department’s program, the Red Cross also provides free smoke alarms. You can learn more at redcross.org/sound-the-alarm.
“The Red Cross also has a program called “Sound the Alarm,” and when you call 1-800-RED-CROSS, they’ll come out and put 10-year detectors in any home, and that’s across the state, so it’s a great program.”
