Mayor Bill Finch is joined by city firefighters and a family to promote smoke detector safety. Story by Bill Kaempffer, public safety spokesman:
Jennifer Ramos and her son Michael heard the sirens blaring as the fire truck pulled up in front of her house on Anson Street. Then the firefighters arrived at her door. And the fire chief. And the mayor.
“All I could think was, ‘What the heck?'”
Then came an offer she couldn’t refuse: Let us install free smoke detectors in your home and your pizza will be free.
“I’ve never gotten anything for free in my life, so this is great,” she said, excited but perplexed.
Have some pie!
“Our smoke detector program has absolutely saved lives,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “We know of at least 200 cases where people were alerted to a fire in their homes by smoke detectors provided and installed by the city. This program is an investment in keeping kids and families across our city safe, and it’s money well spent.”
Mayor Finch and Chief Brian Rooney teamed up with the Domino’s Pizza at 2308 Main St. to promote the city’s free fire detector program.
Over the last decade, the department in partnership with non-profit RYASAP has installed more than 43,000 free smoke detectors in city homes.
“We just ordered a pizza and all of a sudden the fire department and the mayor and everybody came,” said Ramos.
It was a win-win for some lucky Domino’s Pizza customers and for the city as well.
The Fire Department spent several hours Thursday delivering pizzas to promote the SafeAsleep program. The firefighters volunteered their time and Domino’s donated the pizzas.
The deal was hard to turn down: If customers showed they had working work smoke detectors in the house, the order was free. If they didn’t have smoke detectors and allowed the city to install them for free, dinner would also be free.
“This program is about keeping people safe,” said Chief Rooney. “And people get their dinner for free on top of that. We want to create awareness. The hope is the neighbors will come out to check out the commotion and schedule appointments themselves for free smoke detectors.
“I can’t thank Domino’s Pizza enough for supporting us. They are helping us save lives.”
Any city resident wanting a smoke alarm can call 203-335-8835. Someone will come out and install one–or several–free of charge.
Fred Reynolds, who works with RYASAP, has installed 24,800 himself.
Since 2005, the Fire Department and RYASAP has installed 43,288 smoke alarms in more than 11,000 homes.
Zahir Uddin, the general manager at the Domino’s at 2308 Main St., described it as an easy decision to partner with the Fire Department to help protect people from fires.
“It could happen to my family. It could happen to me,” he said. “I wanted to get involved with the fire department to save people’s lives.”
The fire department also has an educational campaign promoting the program. Firefighters visit schools promoting fire safety and SafeAsleep and urge students to ask their parents if they have working smoke detectors. The department also incorporated the “Master of Disaster” curriculum in city schools. Master of Disaster is centered on a series of lesson plans that help firefighters educate children from kindergarten to 8th grade about the importance of fire prevention and safety.
Are those five young women SHU students living in one house? Did anyone count the number of bedrooms to verify they comply with zoning regulations? Oh, they were delivering pizza on city time. Excuse me.
Tom, I believe with five unrelated people in an apartment they would need a rooming house permit, need sprinklers and a ton of other safety equipment. Of course they don’t have the safety equipment. The city chooses to turn its back on this problem and will continue to do so until a tragedy strikes like a deadly fire. Then the mayor, the fire chief, the police chief, the Fire Marshal and housing officials can all stand in line to go to jail.
Good gesture by the BFD and city, whatever the political motivation. But then again, how stupid do you have to be to not install smoke detectors in your home in the first place? Oh I forgot, people are too busy worrying about Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
I said earlier, thanks to the Fire Department and Domino’s Pizza and all those involved. The City has been giving out only one type of smoke detector and that is the “Ionization Detector,” that is the most popular smoke detector but not the best.
“Ionization Detector” detects flames and fire, not smoke. By time the fire and flames gets to someone in a fire you would have been killed from smoke inhalation. The mayor the fire chief are giving residents a false sense of security by giving out just “Ionization Detector.” Photoelectric Smoke Alarms detect smoldering fires.
Popular smoke alarms (“Ionization Detector”) may go off too late, experts warn:
Please take the time to watch this video, it may help to save your life.
What is the difference between Photoelectric and Ionization smoke alarms?
• Ionization Smoke Alarms–Generally are more effective at detecting flaming fires, which consume combustibles quickly and spread rapidly. Sources of these fires include paper burning in a wastebasket, or grease fires on a stove.
• Photoelectric Smoke Alarms–Generally are more effective at detecting smoldering fires, which smolder for hours before bursting into flame. Sources of the fires include cigarette smoldering in couches or bedding.
For maximum protection, install both types of smoke alarms on every level of the home.
But who’s protecting the protectors from Rooney’s shit-eating grin?
Recently Elliot Alfaro, an excellent human being and retired fire department member passed away. He was one of the good ones. During Elliot’s assignment to Engine 12 he suffered a head injury and suffered from seizures afterwards. I mention this because it’s important and everyone needs to know just how Rooney treated Elliot after the accident. Like shit, not the first and surely won’t be the last. The passenger door of Engine 12 was being held closed with a bungee cord, but was kept on duty. During one of Engine 12’s runs while leaving its quarters the door swung open and Elliot fell out and struck his head. Who was in charge? Rooney.
Too many hydrants off duty, we need them repaired! Screw the law … I’m in-charge!
The MEETING between I’m in-charge, the Maintenance Shop and a water contractor. The offer, if you repair the hydrants using “lead,” which is the quickest way to make repairs and place hydrants back on duty you will get a no-bid contract. The contractor knew it was illegal to use lead, he immediately refused and left the meeting. Total disregard for public health. Wasn’t the Shop supposed to have an asst. chief in charge?
Does retired Fire Chief Maglione have two city pensions too?
Rooney accepted the position of fire chief while still a member of the fire department and on its payroll. There was no break in service. Therefore, his service time would have continued with no service break between assistant chief/provisional chief to that of fire chief. His continuation of service time should have been counted towards his one retirement payment based on fire chief salary. Not two as he claimed he was owed. So does Maglione also have two city pensions?
Is the campaign season over yet?
Tom, I think they’re just warming up.
Are those five young women SHU students living in one house? Did anyone count the number of bedrooms to verify they comply with zoning regulations? Oh, they were delivering pizza on city time. Excuse me.
Tom, I believe with five unrelated people in an apartment they would need a rooming house permit, need sprinklers and a ton of other safety equipment. Of course they don’t have the safety equipment. The city chooses to turn its back on this problem and will continue to do so until a tragedy strikes like a deadly fire. Then the mayor, the fire chief, the police chief, the Fire Marshal and housing officials can all stand in line to go to jail.
Good gesture by the BFD and city, whatever the political motivation. But then again, how stupid do you have to be to not install smoke detectors in your home in the first place? Oh I forgot, people are too busy worrying about Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
I said earlier, thanks to the Fire Department and Domino’s Pizza and all those involved. The City has been giving out only one type of smoke detector and that is the “Ionization Detector,” that is the most popular smoke detector but not the best.
“Ionization Detector” detects flames and fire, not smoke. By time the fire and flames gets to someone in a fire you would have been killed from smoke inhalation. The mayor the fire chief are giving residents a false sense of security by giving out just “Ionization Detector.” Photoelectric Smoke Alarms detect smoldering fires.
Popular smoke alarms (“Ionization Detector”) may go off too late, experts warn:
Please take the time to watch this video, it may help to save your life.
“a target=”_blank” href=”http://www.today.com/id/49214422/ns/today-today_news/t/rossen-reports-popular-smoke-alarms-may-go-too-late-experts-warn/”>www .today.com/id/49214422/ns/today-today_news/t/rossen-reports-popular-smoke-alarms-may-go-too-late-experts-warn/
What is the difference between Photoelectric and Ionization smoke alarms?
• Ionization Smoke Alarms–Generally are more effective at detecting flaming fires, which consume combustibles quickly and spread rapidly. Sources of these fires include paper burning in a wastebasket, or grease fires on a stove.
• Photoelectric Smoke Alarms–Generally are more effective at detecting smoldering fires, which smolder for hours before bursting into flame. Sources of the fires include cigarette smoldering in couches or bedding.
For maximum protection, install both types of smoke alarms on every level of the home.
Thanks for the info, Ron.
But who’s protecting the protectors from Rooney’s shit-eating grin?
Recently Elliot Alfaro, an excellent human being and retired fire department member passed away. He was one of the good ones. During Elliot’s assignment to Engine 12 he suffered a head injury and suffered from seizures afterwards. I mention this because it’s important and everyone needs to know just how Rooney treated Elliot after the accident. Like shit, not the first and surely won’t be the last. The passenger door of Engine 12 was being held closed with a bungee cord, but was kept on duty. During one of Engine 12’s runs while leaving its quarters the door swung open and Elliot fell out and struck his head. Who was in charge? Rooney.
Too many hydrants off duty, we need them repaired! Screw the law … I’m in-charge!
The MEETING between I’m in-charge, the Maintenance Shop and a water contractor. The offer, if you repair the hydrants using “lead,” which is the quickest way to make repairs and place hydrants back on duty you will get a no-bid contract. The contractor knew it was illegal to use lead, he immediately refused and left the meeting. Total disregard for public health. Wasn’t the Shop supposed to have an asst. chief in charge?
Does retired Fire Chief Maglione have two city pensions too?
Rooney accepted the position of fire chief while still a member of the fire department and on its payroll. There was no break in service. Therefore, his service time would have continued with no service break between assistant chief/provisional chief to that of fire chief. His continuation of service time should have been counted towards his one retirement payment based on fire chief salary. Not two as he claimed he was owed. So does Maglione also have two city pensions?