Red Cross gives away free smoke detectors in Verona

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VERONA, Miss. (WCBI) — Thanks to the American Red Cross some Verona residents are safer Saturday.

Early Saturday volunteers gathered at the Verona Fire Station to take part in a home preparedness program. Sandy Patrick is Director of Disaster Services for the North Mississippi Chapter of the American Red Cross. She says the smoke detectors were obtained through a grant.
“We’re doing it nationwide., she says “All Red Crosses across the United States are doing this home fire preparedness campaign. And the smoke alarms are free to all residents.”
The American Red Cross of North Mississippi is working with the Verona Fire Department as part of a national home fire preparedness campaign in hopes of reducing the number of injuries and deaths caused by home fires by 25 percent within the next five years.
“They make a big difference in life or death,” says Verona Interim Fire Chief Charles Smith.  “It gives them just that little bit of time that little bit of time that they need to be able to get out of the house. So its a big importance to have them in everybody’s home if they can, a minimum of two if not more,”  Smith recommends.
And the Red Cross of North Mississippi had the assistance of some volunteers from Americorps who came from all over the country to help with the program.
“It’s a volunteer service program yearlong ten to eleven month program, ” says Austin Abromeit from Idaho. “By the end of the year we graduate with 17-hundred hours at least of volunteer service hours across the country. Our specific program works with FEMA doing disaster related service work,” he says.
Andrew Rudd was glad to see the volunteers this morning. They installed two smoke detectors in his home.
“And I appreciate it because some people can’t afford a fire detector so therefore it’s a help to the community for the ones who are not fortunate to have a fire detector and I appreciate it, Rudd says.

And Rudd likes the fact that these smoke detectors last ten years.
“That’s a plus that I don’t have to change the battery every year or so. It’s a good thing.”