MFRD and Blackman HS Football Team Installs 26 Free Smoke Alarms

Sep 29, 2014 at 10:14 am by bryan


Murfreesboro Fire & Rescue Department, with the assistance of Blackman Blaze football players and Coach Philip Shadowens, canvassed three high risk areas in Murfreesboro Saturday morning and installed a total of 26 free smoke alarms in the community.

The project was part of a collaboration between the State Fire Marshal's Office and high school football "Guru" Murphy Fair which involves 10 high schools in the state partnering with local fire agencies to provide and install free smoke detectors in high risk areas of their communities through the State Fire Marshal's Smoke Alarm Campaign.

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Players were divided into groups and partnered with three MFRD personnel to go door to door in the areas of January Street, Central Magnet School, and Mitchell Neilson.

Captain Jamie Bigelow, one of MFRD's members that participated in Saturday's canvas, said this about the experience, "I truly enjoyed working with a group of such fine, young gentlemen. They were very respectful and eager to help their community."

As for the residents in the community, Bigelow said, "Surprisingly, they were very receptive to allowing three large football players and a Firefighter to enter their homes. They knew our intent was to lower their risk of fire death by making sure they had the right amount of working smoke alarms."

According to the State Fire Marshal's Office, the State of Tennessee has had 39 fire deaths to date. The National Fire Protection Association states that having working smoke alarms in the home cuts the chances of dying in a fire in half.

If you were not a part of Saturday's event, there are other opportunities to ensure that your home is equipped with the right amount of working smoke alarms. MFRD's Project SAFE "Smoke Alarms for Everyone" provides free smoke alarms and installation for the citizens of Murfreesboro. MFRD also offers specialty alarms for the visually or hearing impaired.

For more information on the Project SAFE program, contact MFRD Admin Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 615-893-1422 or visit www.murfreesborotn.gov.

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