As the number of fire deaths continues to rise in North Carolina, Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey has organized a team of firefighters and volunteers to be out in force this weekend -- not to battle a blaze or answer medical calls, but to distribute and install free smoke alarms in neighborhoods across the state.
Saturday, June 1, is Smoke Alarm Saturday 2019 in North Carolina. Starting at 9:00 a.m., the Office of State Fire Marshal will join forces with First Alert, American Red Cross, and 134 fire departments statewide to install smoke alarms in homes across the state.
"We’ve seen first-hand how important smoke alarms are when it comes to saving lives," said Commissioner Causey. "Just last week, a woman lost her life and three others were injured in a fire in Winston-Salem where there was no working smoke alarm in the house. Tragedies like this remind us of how important our job is to educate residents about the importance of having a working smoke alarm in the house."
OSFM organizers, volunteers, and fire department members will be going door-to-door in 75 of the state’s 100 counties checking homes for the presence of working smoke alarms and installing new ones where needed. First Alert and Lowe's donated 750 smoke alarms to help make this event happen.
State Fire Marshal Mike Causey will personally take part in the canvassing efforts at the Guil-Rand Fire Department in Archdale at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 1.
"We applaud State Fire Marshal Causey and his entire OSFM team – along with the hundreds of firefighters and volunteers – who are dedicating their time and energy to help our communities be better protected from the dangers of home fires," said Tarsila Wey, First Alert’s director of marketing. "Community risk reduction programs are key to helping reduce the numbers of home fire deaths and injuries not only in North Carolina but across the country."
So far in 2019, there have been 55 fire deaths in North Carolina, and in many of those incidents, there was no working smoke alarm present. 2018 was one of the deadliest years on record -- 135 people lost their lives in North Carolina because of fire.
For a complete list of all the fire departments participating in Smoke Alarm Saturday including locations and contact information, visit our interactive dashboard.
For more information about smoke alarms and fire safety, visit the OSFM website.