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Red Cross outlines free home smoke-alarm program for Margate neighborhoods
Summary
The American Red Cross presented its Home Fire Campaign to the City of Margate commission, offering free door-to-door smoke alarm installations, fire-safety education and specialized devices for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; the presenter said the program has documented 2,577 lives saved nationally.
The City of Margate commission heard a presentation on March 4 from the American Red Cross about its Home Fire Campaign, a community program offering free smoke alarm installation, fire-safety education and equipment for residents, including bed-shaker devices for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.
"What we are doing with this program is it is designed to prevent deaths and injuries caused by home fires," said Steven Ortega, community disaster program specialist for the American Red Cross. Ortega told commissioners the campaign pairs Red Cross volunteers with local fire departments to perform door-to-door installations, create home escape plans and provide classroom safety education. He said the national campaign has "saved 2,577" documented lives since its inception and cited national home-fire statistics to underscore the program’s local significance.
Ortega described the campaign’s three core components — door-to-door installations, youth engagement in schools, and a public education push — and detailed logistics: installations typically take 15–20 minutes, teams include an installer and an educator who helps households draft escape plans, and the Red Cross can provide 10-year battery-life smoke alarms free of charge. Robert Lorenzo of the Margate Fire Department introduced the presentation and thanked Fire Marshal David Scholl and the department’s community-risk-reduction subcommittee for coordinating with the Red Cross.
The presenter said residents interested in having alarms installed can contact Ortega or his supervisor (contact information was placed on the meeting screen) or coordinate through the Margate Fire Department. The commission offered general thanks and moved on to the evening’s scheduled recognitions.
