State Farm awards fire friends $1,000

Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Lou Fontaine, president of Friends of Greencastle Fire Department (GFD Friends), Brian Moore, Assistant Fire Chief, Therese Cunningham, State Farm Insurance, Christy Glass, Fire Prevention Officer, Bill Newgent, Fire Chief, Pam Pierce, Deputy Clerk and Friends, Stephanie Tincher, Admin. Assist. GFD and Rick Bittles, Vice President of Friends.

State Farm Insurance recently presented the Friends of Greencastle Fire Department with a $1,000 donation to purchase Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms to help the fire department provide better awareness, protection, safety and property conservation to local residents.

State Farm donated $750 and local State Farm Agent Therese Cunningham donated $250 bringing the award to $1,000. This will allow the Friends of Greencastle Fire Department to purchase 64 Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms.

"We are thrilled to be able to support this important projects," stated Cunningham.

State Farm Insurance has awarded more than $22,000 over the past year to fire departments throughout the state of Indiana to educate communities on fire safety.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there are more homes that have non-working smoke detectors then homes that do not have smoke detectors at all. This creates a false sense of security for the 94 percent of North American homes who have detectors.

"Working alarms save lives," said Fire Prevention Officer Christy Glass.

"By properly selecting, placing, testing and maintaining your smoke alarm, you will greatly increase your chances of surviving a home fire."

NFPA safety code 101 should be followed in the placement of your alarm. This generally means one alarm on every level including basements and within 15 feet of each sleeping area. If bedroom doors are kept closed, an alarm should also be placed inside the bedroom.

In new construction, the code requires hard-wired smoke alarms to be interconnected. This means if one alarm is activated, all alarms will sound. New construction also requires a smoke alarm be installed in each bedroom.

The Fire Department is also using the new Dual Sensor Photoelectric/Ionization Smoke Alarms to replace the current Ionization Smoke Alarms. This alarm better alerts residents in case of a fire and deadly smoke.

For information about smoke alarms, contact your local Greencastle Fire Department at 653-3108.

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