Seven Hills committee approves MOU enabling Red Cross smoke-detector installs for seniors

A Police & Fire subcommittee of the Seven Hills City Council voted to approve a memorandum of understanding to partner with the American Red Cross on Project Safe Senior, a program to provide free smoke detectors, home safety assessments and evacuation planning help for older residents.

The program was described by the Fire Chief as a state-promoted partnership: “The state fire marshal has started pushing out this partnership with the American Red Cross in our local chapter, which is the Northern Ohio region. It's called Project Safe Senior,” the Fire Chief said. The chief also said, "The Red Cross supplies all of the smoke detectors. There is no cost to the city whatsoever."

The subcommittee moved to approve the chief’s recommendation and recorded the motion and a second before carrying the item by roll call. Committee members noted the program would place city personnel alongside Red Cross teams to install detectors and conduct basic safety checks and evacuation planning, and said the MOU is an initial administrative step before program rollout.

The Fire Chief said the MOU is “just kind of the first step” in a sequence of steps the city must complete before installations begin. No implementation timetable or target start date was specified during the meeting.

The committee discussion included brief public appreciation from a resident who said the chief helped them choose an appropriate smoke detector, and committee members expressed support for the program.

The subcommittee adjourned with the item approved; the full council will see the MOU as part of committee reporting per normal process.