Home fire safety visit with free smoke detector installation for homebound seniors

The Red Cross and the Gloucester County the Division of Senior Services will provide fire safety visits for Serv-A-Tray residents.

A new partnership between the Red Cross New Jersey Region and the Gloucester County the Division of Senior Services will provide for fire safety visits to homebound residents who are part of the county’s Serv-A-Tray program.

“We are starting this program with the Red Cross by scheduling fire safety visits with our Serv-A-Tray clients,” Freeholder Director Robert M. Damminger said. “It is a proven fact that smoke detectors help save lives and this is a great service to those who do not get out to the store.”

Freeholder Jim Jefferson said an informational flyer has been sent to the 361 Serv-A-Tray clients that receive at-home meals from the county inviting them to request a home fire safety visit.

Jefferson said returned request forms will be submitted and appointments with senior residents scheduled for fire safety visits. During the fire safety visit, a Red Cross volunteer team will install free smoke alarms with a ten year lithium battery in homes that need them and provide information on planning a fire escape plan and tips on fire safety.

“After we provide this service to our homebound seniors, we are going to expand it to invite those seniors in our county who utilize our nutrition programs and other senior services,” Jefferson said. “This is very important and we are extremely pleased to be partnering with the Red Cross to help keep our seniors safe.”

The American Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters a year and most of them are home fires. The Red Cross is working to reduce death and injury from home fires by 25 percent by 2020 by launching the Home Fire Campaign. Working together in communities across the nation, the Red Cross, fire departments, municipalities, businesses, schools, nonprofits, neighborhood leaders and others are mobilizing resource and volunteers to help stamp out needless fire deaths. The Home Fire Campaign helps save lives by installing free smoke alarms in homes that don’t have them and by educating people about home fire safety.