Conway, Fla., firefighters check for smoke alarms

By TONYA ROOT   
Myrtle Beach Sun News (Florida)

Conway residents shouldn't think their house is on fire if a firefighter comes to the front door with a smoke detector in hand during the next six weeks.

City firefighters will go door-to-door to ensure all Conway homes are protected by a working smoke alarm, spokesman Jeremy Carter said. Firefighters divided the city into districts and will visit each neighborhood from 6 p.m. today through June 29. They will go to each home and check its smoke detector. If there is not a working detector in the house, firefighters plan to install them for free.

"A smoke detector is the best safety device you can install," Carter said. "In the event of a fire, a smoke alarm is going to save your life."

Using some money that was saved in the department's budget and a fire-prevention grant, officials purchased 3,000 smoke detectors for the program, called Smoke Detectors for Safe Summer Nights. Firefighters also will post the home's street number on the front of the house for free if it is not already there.

The program is expected to help firefighters educate residents about the importance of having a smoke detector in their home.

In the 1960s, most homes did not have a smoke alarm, which cost upward of $1,000, Carter said. Now detectors are installed in all new homes according to building codes, and they cost about $5.