SOUTH OGDEN, Utah (The Daily Dish) — In partnership with the Utah Red Cross, the South Ogden City Fire Department has installed nearly 50 smoke alarms in homes since November 2022, aiming to make homes more safe and reduce the risk of fire-related deaths.

As part of their Community Risk Reduction Program, the South Ogden Fire Department started installing smoke alarms during Fire Safety Month in September 2022. They reached out to the community for donations of smoke detectors and, through their partnership with the Utah Red Cross, were able to install up to three free smoke alarms in South Ogden homes every week.

The Red Cross attended the Preparedness event to sign up residents for free smoke alarms, which the fire department then installed. The partnership has not only supplied the fire department with smoke alarms, but has also allowed them to share life-saving evacuation information with the residents of those homes.

The South Ogden Fire Department recommends installing smoke alarms on every level of the home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas, and near the kitchen. They also recommend testing smoke alarms every month and changing the batteries if needed. In addition to smoke alarms, they recommend homes have CO detectors as well.

For those who are deaf or hard of hearing, the fire department suggests installing strobe light and bed-shaker alarms to help alert individuals to a fire. Furthermore, the fire department speaks with all family members about a fire escape plan and practices the plan twice a year.

To further promote their partnership, the Utah Red Cross will be holding a Home Fire Campaign Event in Layton, Utah, on April 15th. The event aims to help save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes without them and by educating people about home fire safety. To volunteer for the event or to have smoke alarms installed in your home, click here.