Health Department Offers Free Smoke Alarms

Free smoke alarms are now available to all Allegheny County residents, thanks to an Allegheny County Health Department giveaway. Special priority will be given to elderly and disabled people, as well as citizens of 17 specific neighborhoods where fire rates are higher than the county average. These neighborhoods are Braddock, Duquesne, Etna, Forward, Homestead, McKeesport, North Braddock, Versailles, Wilkinsburg, Allentown, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Hazelwood, Homewood, Lincoln-Lemington and Perry South. Health Department spokesman Guillermo Cole says all recipients will get a smoke alarm for every level of their home, a free installation and a fire safety education session. Cole says smoke alarms reduce the chance of death in a fire by about half. The smoke alarm giveaway is an annual event made possible by a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.