National Grid joins fire prevention bid

Village of Freeport officials gathered with representatives from the American Red Cross and National Grid on Friday to kick off a fire safety campaign that included the installation of free smoke alarms in homes.

“Winter is upon us and as temperatures drop we see a spike in home fires,” Robert Kennedy, mayor of Freeport, said, referring to the use of space heaters, stoves, fireplaces, and even candles to heat homes. “Smoke alarms save lives.”

According to the American Red Cross, families have two minutes to escape a burning building to safety.

“The risk of dying is cut by 50 percent if you have a working smoke detector in your home,” John Miller, chief executive of the American Red Cross on Long Island, said.

In 2014 the American Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign, a national initiative to reduce deaths and injuries from home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. On average seven people die from a home fire every day in the United States and 36 people suffer injuries from home fires.

“Along with our partners in the Village of Freeport and at National Grid, we are going door-to-door to install the fire alarms and provide critical fire safety education,” Miller said. “There is no excuse not to have a smoke alarm. Be safe.”

Nassau County Legislator Laura Curran and Town of Hempstead Councilwomen Dorothy Goosby and Erin King Sweeney were also at the news conference to lend support for the fire safety campaign.

Following the news conference, National Grid’s Power to Serve Employee volunteers went to over a dozen Freeport homes to install the smoke alarms and provide fire and gas safety information.

“We want to get the message out there about the importance of fire and gas safety,” Michael Ruiz of National Grid said. “We will also talk about CO [carbon monoxide] detectors.”

National Grid’s Power to Serve Employee program “harnesses volunteer efforts to help out communities,” Ruiz explained. “We stood side-by-side with the American Red Cross through Superstorm Sandy. This initiative continues to support efforts to make our communities stronger and more resilient.”

Seniors are especially at risk for fire safety said Thomas Butler, Freeport fire chief. They “really need to hear those smoke alarms, so it’s important they are in working order,” he said.

Ray Maguire, executive director of the Freeport Fire Department added that all residents should “practice fire safety every day,” he said. “Get smoke detectors; have a plan and be prepared.”