Over 150 fire departments in 62 North Carolina counties will participate in the annual Smoke Alarm Yesterday. The event aims to install free smoke alarms and educate families about fire safety. This campaign is supported by the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, Kidde, and State Farm, with over 4,700 smoke alarms provided, including 1,200 from State Farm.
The program's launch event took place at Buncombe County’s Fairview Volunteer Fire Department, where Kidde made headlines with a sizable donation. Besides the smoke alarms, they handed over carbon monoxide alarms and fire extinguishers to fire departments, still on the mend following Hurricane Helene. Included in that list are Leicester VFD, Fairview VFD, and a host of others that play a vital role in the region's safety and recovery efforts. "This initiative is about saving lives," State Fire Marshal Brian Taylor announced, "Every alarm installed is a potential life saved," according to the NC OSFM.
The investment in smoke alarms highlights the importance of early fire detection in improving safety outcomes. At the program’s kickoff event, speakers included Kidde’s Stephanie Berzinski, State Farm’s Tammy Murphy, and the Red Cross’s Jerri Goldberg. Each emphasized the initiative’s goal to educate and equip the community to better prevent and respond to fires.
As the campaign got underway, local fire crews, accompanied by media teams, began installing smoke alarms and engaging with the public. The Office of State Fire Marshal acknowledged the efforts of partners, volunteers, and fire departments involved in Smoke Alarm Saturday.
