Fire safety initiative peppers Solon Springs with smoke alarms
Dec. 15—SUPERIOR — Firefighters wheeled 210 smoke detectors into the Solon Springs School gymnasium on Friday, Dec. 9. The members of the Solon Springs Volunteer Fire Department were there to talk about fire safety with students and prep them for Monday, Dec. 12, when each family would be receiving a free smoke alarm.
The goal of the initiative, funded by Walmart, the Independent Insurance Agents of Wisconsin/Mertz Rookey and the Solon Springs Educational Foundation, was to make sure each home had at least one working smoke alarm.
"I know there's kids out there that don't have functioning smoke alarms and even one can make a difference," said Solon Springs firefighter Chuck Walt.
The risk of dying in a home structure fire is 55% lower in homes with working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Prevention Association. The association reported that almost three-out-of-five home deaths were caused by fires in structures with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that failed to operate.
Walt said it's good to test smoke alarms monthly and replace the batteries every six months to a year. There should be one in every bedroom and every hallway. The devices do age out, as well.
"If your smoke alarm is more than 10 years old, you're supposed to get rid of it," Walt said.
He encouraged the students to "take care of them, and they'll take care of you."
The smoke alarm giveaway was slated to take place in October during the school's annual fire prevention week, but Walt said the smoke alarms were on backorder and it took extra time to line up donations. The last time the district sent home free smoke alarms to families was in October 2016.
The need for the devices has been highlighted by an uptick in structure fires since the weather turned colder.
"Wintertime is the worst time for it," said Mario Picinich Jr., a captain and safety officer with the Solon Springs Fire Department.
A cabin in Dairyland and a home in Solon Springs were destroyed by fire Nov. 20. Fire destroyed a trailer home in the town of Parkland Dec. 8, as well, according to Douglas County Sheriff's Office reports. No injuries were reported at any of the structure fires.
The free smoke detectors are available to virtual students and homeschooled children in the Solon Springs School District, as well. Principal Holly Jones said they have a list of students Homeschool families in the district can contact the school, 715-378-2263, to request an alarm in case there are some families school district officials aren't aware of.
