Red Cross hands out smoke alarms

Copyright 2006 Chattanooga Publishing Company

By CLIFF HIGHTOWER
Chattanooga Times Free Press

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers to hand out smoke detectors in Rhea County next week in direct response to a house fire that killed nine people more than a month ago, officials said.

"We started there because of the fire," said Barbara Alexander, executive director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County chapter of the American Red Cross.

On March 11, a fire killed nine people sleeping in an Evensville home. One person survived by climbing out a kitchen window. Authorities later said the home had no smoke alarm.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County chapter serves Hamilton, Sequatchie, Bledsoe, Grundy and Marion counties in Southeast Tennessee and Dade, Walker and Catoosa counties in North Georgia, officials said.

Fire officials in Rhea County said smoke detectors are needed.

"I'd say there's some houses out there with no smoke detectors in them," Fire Chief Billy Cranfield said.

Beth Roberson, spokeswoman for the Red Cross, said the organization is looking for at least 50 volunteers to go door to door and educate the public about smoke alarms.

Ms. Roberson said 520 smoke detectors will be distributed countywide and that volunteers are asked to attend a training session Saturday, a week in advance of the smoke alarm distribution.

"It's a big commitment," she said. "It is committing to two Saturdays in a row."

Firefighters have volunteered to install the detectors, she said.

Rhea County fire officials said awareness has grown across the county about the need for smoke detectors since the fire.

"We could definitely use them," said Spring City fire Chief Jay Wright. "I don't think people in the county knew how important they were until after the fire."

Chief Wright said Spring City has many elderly residents. He said the area fire chiefs have discussed obtaining more smoke detectors to hand out to residents.

The number to be distributed next week would cover Spring City, he said.

"Every little bit would help," Chief Wright said.

Ms. Roberson said Red Cross officials are working on grants to provide more smoke detectors across the region.

Chief Cranfield said he thought it would be a good idea to have a yearly event in the spring or the fall to hand out smoke detectors. He said he expects people to be eager to obtain information about smoke detectors.

"I think they will because of what happened here," he said.

Ms. Roberson said the Red Cross is hoping to expand its volunteer base into Rhea and surrounding counties.

Rose Ann Copeland, emergency services coordinator for the Red Cross, said she expects a strong response from people.

"It is kind of an active audience there after what happened," she said.