- How are departments and Fire Corps programs chosen to participate?
- How many alarms are being installed?
- What types of alarms are being installed?
- Where is Sound the Alarm available?
- Will Sound the Alarm be available in other states in the future?
- How can I participate?
- Can my department use the resources on this site for our own smoke alarm program?
- How do I request a smoke alarm for my home?
- How should we dispose of old smoke alarms?
How are departments and Fire Corps programs chosen to participate?
The only requirement for a department or Fire Corps program to participate is that they must serve a population of less than 2,500 people in a state that’s part of the pilot program. Currently, the states being targeted are Alabama, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Additional factors that will be taken into consideration when choosing the teams are as follows:
- How many fires, fire deaths and fire-related injuries have occurred each year over the past five years in the community?
- How many fire education programs are being conducted, if any?
- How many fire inspections are being conducted, if any?
- How long it has been since smoke alarm information and fire safety messages have been presented to the community, if ever?
- Has a smoke alarm replacement program ever been conducted? If so, when was the last one?
How many alarms are being installed?
Each team is responsible for conducting 3 home inspections/smoke alarm installations per month. In total, approximately 340 homes will be reached. At an estimated replacement of three smoke alarms for each home, a total of over 1,000 ionization smoke alarms will be installed.
What types of alarms are being installed?
First Alert is providing ionization smoke alarms, which will pick up more quickly on flaming fires. To learn more about the different types of smoke alarms, click here for information from the USFA.
Where is Sound the Alarm available?
Sound the Alarm is available in several rural areas of Alabama, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. However, everyone is free to access the resources on this web site to help with their own programs.
Will Sound the Alarm be available in other states in the future?
We hope so! Sound the Alarm was funded through a grant by FEMA. If the current pilot program yields good results, we will seek funding to continue this program in other areas.
How can I participate?
If you are with a fire/EMS department or a Fire Corps team and would like to participate in potential future offerings, please fill out our Mailing List Signup form.
If you are an individual who would like to help with Sound the Alarm and other similar campaigns, consider joining a Fire Corps team. Click here to locate a program near you.
Can my department use the resources on this site for our own smoke alarm program?
Definitely! Feel free to utilize all resources that we have made available.
How do I request a smoke alarm for my home?
If you live in Alabama, Pennsylvania or Tennessee, there may be a team in your area that is looking for homes to visit. Fill out our Request Smoke Alarms form to let us know that you’re interested.
How should we dispose of old smoke alarms?
First, find out if your municipality has any regulations regarding smoke alarm disposal. If you’re unable to safely dispose of them as normal refuse in your area, contact the manufacturer of the alarm for more information. Most manufacturers will take the old alarms back and dispose of them safely.
