On Wednesday, the American Red Cross, Hartford Fire Department and city officials installed free smoke alarms for families in the city.
The initiative commemorated the Sept. 11th attacks and was a part of the “Sound the Alarm” event.
“Our goal is to hit 300 smoke alarms today,” Red Cross Connecticut and Rhode Island CEO Richard Branigan said. “We don’t know how many lives will be saved here in Hartford, but we know the community will be safer because of what we’re doing today.”
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Over the years, the American Red Cross said it has installed over 6,000 smoke alarms in Hartford alone.
On Wednesday, Gilberto Acosta received four new alarms in his house. Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam even installed one of them.
“It’s a burden to a person that is disabled,” Acosta said. “The last time I went to go check for one, it was like 40 something dollars. And that’s just for one. If you have to have four or five of them, imagine the cost.”
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The U.S. Fire Administration recommends replacing smoke detectors every 10 years and said it helps save lives.
“In general, you have about two minutes if there’s an actual fire,” Hartford Fire Chief Rodney Barco said. “We just want to give folks a chance to survive in case of a fire. So early warning detection devices are critical for that reason.”
The American Red Cross offers free fire alarm installation throughout the year with an appointment that can be scheduled online.
