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After two house fires, fire chief urges smoke-detector checks and schedules April 18 installation drive
Summary
Following two recent house fires in February (one fatal), Fire Chief Hogan urged residents to install and test smoke detectors, cited the shorter escape times in modern homes and announced a smoke-detector installation drive with the American Red Cross on April 18 (8:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.).
Councilmember Hunnigan opened closing comments by noting two recent house fires in February, including one that required emergency demolition and another that resulted in a death and firefighter injury. He deferred to Fire Chief Hogan for details on safety steps.
Chief Hogan told the council that modern furnishings and materials have reduced the typical escape time in a home from 17 minutes "to 3 minutes," and emphasized the importance of installing smoke detectors with sealed 10-year batteries. "The number 1 thing you can do to protect you and your family is to install smoke detectors in your home," he said. Hogan noted that Illinois law (as of Jan. 1, 2023) requires 10-year non-removable sealed-battery smoke alarms for new installations and replacements, and recommended testing alarms twice a year.
The chief announced a smoke-detector "Sound the Alarm" installation drive in partnership with the American Red Cross on April 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., offered home safety checks and said the department installed more than 200 alarms last year. Council members thanked public-safety staff and urged residents to take advantage of the upcoming volunteer event.
