Alexandria to Offer Free Smoke Alarms Through Homeland Security Grant

The Alexandria Fire Department is receiving a grant from the Homeland Security Department to further educate residents about fire prevention and safety. 

Alexandria hopes to receive the full amount it requested of $124,118, which it will use to provide, install and offer education about smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Additionally, some of the award will go to purchasing and distributing materials about fire safety. 

“The biggest push right now is getting early warning detection into homes  - especially into those homes that can’t afford a detector - or high risk families such as those with young children,” said Alexandria Chief Fire Marshal Robert Rodriguez. “Although the program is available to all of Alexandria, we want to help those low-income households who may when faced with the choice of buying groceries or a detector, must choose to buy groceries.”

The total grant amount of $949,000 was split between Alexandria; Cleveland; Palm Beach County, Fla.; Rosemount, Minn., and Washington, D.C., as part of the Vision 20/20 Project. 

Rodriguez said the City of Alexandria applied to be part of the project about a year ago and is essentially a subcontractor to the Institution of Fire Engineers-USA Branch, which is the main grantee.

After the Alexandria Fire Department meets with the IFE mid-August, it hopes to be able to offer the alarms to Alexandrians beginning in September. If it receives the total grant amount, the Fire Department will purchase 400 combination smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, 500 lithium battery 10-year smoke alarms and 100 smoke alarms designed to aid the hearing impaired, according to Rodriguez. The alarms will be given to residents free of charge.

“Fire safety and prevention is a top priority message of the Alexandria Fire Department,” Rodriguez said. “Most of the people who perish in a fire did not have an early warning device at home. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can give you extra minutes to get out and save your life.”