Davis leads Albion initiative to place free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Albion homes
By SYLVIA BENAVIDEZ
Contributing Writer
The Albion Fire Safety Coalition had their first meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24 to learn how to install the free smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in Albion provided by MI Prevention, a first-of-its-kind statewide residential smoke alarm installation and consumer fire education program targeted toward specific demographic groups and geographical areas of the state based on fatal fire data gathered over the last five years.
We are the first in the state to do this as a community…”
Precinct 5 Councilwoman Vivian Davis worked with the Albion Department of Public Safety to bring the state-sponsored program to the city.
“We are the first in the state to do this as a community,” said Davis. Up to now, first responders have been volunteering their time to get the smoke detectors in homes around the state. With Albion being short-staffed in the Public Safety Department, Davis, ADPS Chief Kipp, and Lt. Bill Timmins came up with another idea.
Volunteers to do the work came from residents, civic groups like the Citizens-to-Beautify Albion, the American Legion, and Friends of Albion’s Animals as well as former educators, and landlords. Chad Everett, a part-time employee for MI Prevention, explained how to physically install the detectors, the variety that are available, and where to place them.
“If you’ve noticed, I have been smiling the whole time I have been here. This is awesome. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I took this position, but to see the community effort that you have here you should be very proud of yourselves. I hope this pilot program ventures off where I am from, Jackson. I am trying to get this started in Jackson. I am going to take every little bit that Albion has started and start spreading that through the state of Michigan. That is my goal,” said Everett.
First and foremost, fire fatalities in the State of Michigan are up 143% and it’s 2023, it should be going down.
MI Prevention won a grant to spread the smoke detectors throughout Michigan and created an app to record the number of detectors installed by their program. Everett said having smoke detectors in the home is vital for people’s survival during a fire. “First and foremost, fire fatalities in the State of Michigan are up 143% and it’s 2023, it should be going down. Of those fatalities, 77% of them did not have smoke detectors. So that is why we are all here today. And that is why the State of Michigan received a million-dollar grant for these smoke detectors,” he said.
The State Fire Marshall wants to make sure the free smoke detectors get installed in homes and don’t just sit on a counter somewhere. The volunteers seemed to understand the installing part well enough but needed a little extra time to learn how to record the information on their phones for the record-keeping portion of the project.
ADPS Lt. Bill Timmins is coordinating the distribution of the smoke alarms in the community. For more information about receiving the free detectors contact him at: 517-629-7826 or email him at btimmins@cityofalbionmi.gov.
The volunteers have to bring things like the ladder, drill, and pencil for marking the detectors if they are being mounted, but Chief Scott Kipp said his department will supply the double sticky tape to mount the detectors if people don’t want them drilled into the wall.
ADPS Lt. Bill Timmins is coordinating the distribution of the smoke alarms in the community. For more information about receiving the free detectors contact him at: 517-629-7826 or email him at btimmins@cityofalbionmi.gov.
Other articles by Sylvia Benavidez
Photos and story copyright, The Recorder.
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