Silverton-area fire safety was fortified this past weekend following a conjoint effort involving Silverton High School students.
On Saturday, April 23, American Red Cross volunteers took part in the regional “Home Fire Campaign” by locally installing free smoke detectors at residences in Silverton, Mt. Angel and Scotts Mills. The groups, which included a number of Silverton High School Students and Silverton Fire Cadets, engaged in the fire-safety activity locally just as a number of others have in communities throughout the region.
Red Cross officials reported on Sunday that 40 volunteers participated, installing 250 smoke alarms.
Silverton Fire District Chief Bill Miles called the campaign a “great extension to what we are doing.”
The chief said his fire prevention officers met with the Red Cross representatives to help facilitate the outreach.
“For us this is great because it just extends what we are able to do,” Miles said. “We get to a lot more folks this way.”
Miles said the district has smoke alarms and batteries on their units that they can install when they spot a need, but the Red Cross reach helps to augment Silverton Fire’s reach.
Red Cross officials, who are spearheading this campaign throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington, said that home fires are the single greatest disaster threat to individuals and families nationwide.