CITY OF RENO NEWS — The Reno Fire Department is accepting applications for their “Fire Prevention for Seniors – Inside the Home Program”, which provides the installation of free smoke detectors in the homes of low-income senior citizens within the City of Reno.
Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on July 15, 2013. Applicants can be delivered to the Reno Fire Department’s Administration Offices on the 4th floor of Reno City Hall (1 East First Street), mailed to the Reno Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division at P.O. Box 1900 Reno, NV 89505, or faxed to (775) 334-4910 or (775) 334-3826. The application is attached or can be obtained by visiting Reno.gov.
Submission of the application does not guarantee the installation of a smoke detector. If approved, the Reno Fire Department will contact the applicant to schedule a day and time to install the smoke detector. A signed liability waiver will be required at the time of installation.
A grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency for fire prevention and safety programs is being used to fund the 1,935 smoke detectors that will be installed.
In a fire, working smoke alarms in a home can mean the difference between life and death. “Smoke alarms that are properly installed and maintained provide an early warning signal which could allow everyone in the home to safely escape,” advised Interim Reno Fire Marshal Dave Cochran. While current code requires a smoke alarm in every sleeping area, Cochran points out that the minimum protection for homes is one smoke alarm outside of each sleeping room, and one on each level of the home including the basement.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, from 2009 to 2011, fire departments responded to an estimated 360,900 fires in residential buildings each year across the nation. These fires resulted in an annual average of 2,495 deaths, 13,250 injuries and $7 billion in property losses.
Residents wanting more information on smoke alarms or fire safety can contact the Reno Fire Department’s Division of Fire Prevention at 334-2300.
