Mansfield Fire Partners with Local Agencies to Perform Community Service Project

On Saturday, April 6, members of the Mansfield Volunteer Fire Department paired with the Sebastian County Emergency Management and Public Facility, EAST initiative students, Sebastian County Youth Preparedness Council and the American Red Cross to participate in a community service project.

Members from each group partnered to deliver and install fire alarms. The group of volunteers and emergency service providers divided up into three teams to deliver approximately 75 alarms to 26 area homes. The alarms were provided by the American Red Cross as part of the Home Fire Campaign.

According to the Red Cross, “everyday seven people die in home fires and tragically, most victims die in homes that don’t have working smoke alarms. The Red Cross wants to do everything we can to prevent these needless tragedies – that’s why we launched our Home Fire Campaign. Volunteer participants work alongside fire departments and other local groups, canvassing at-risk neighborhoods to install free smoke alarms, replace batteries in existing alarms, educate families about fire prevention and safety, and fundraise for this lifesaving mission.” In just four years, these efforts have saved hundreds of lives and made hundreds of thousands of households safer.

Each team delegated three leaders:

• Smoke Alarm Installer
• Educator
• Documenter

Students from Mansfield’s EAST Initiative and instructor, Annette Smith, reached out to community members, seeking those who were in need of the service. They came prepared with a map of each address. “We’ve never been this organized,” said Red Cross volunteer, Joe Horton. Horton added that the precise mapping made the delivery and installation process much more effective.

Rebecca Brumley, Disaster Program Specialist of the American Red Cross, stated that a total of 1600 fire alarms have been installed throughout Northwest Arkansas. “Fire alarms save lives,” added Brumley.

The office of the Sebastian County Emergency Management and Public Facility served as a liaison for the project. Deputy Director Travis Cooper commented that the external partnerships , such as these with the American Red Cross and school, can really make an impact in the lives of the community.

If you are interested in learning more about the American Red Cross Home Fire Campaign, you can visit their website.

The smoke alarms and installation are free of charge. According to Horton, “I’d rather come out and install a fire alarm in someone’s home than to come after a fire and learn of a tragedy.”