It is essential for public safety that the citizenry have knowledge about the upkeep of their fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, so Traverse City, Mich. firefighters are reaching out to educate the public on the basics and provide senior citizens with new detectors where needed.

Because individuals over the age of 65 are often on a fixed income, they are not always able to afford equipment that might save their lives. For someone in this situation, checking their fire safety equipment is probably the last thing on their minds; so the Traverse City Fire Department has implemented a program that allows senior citizens and other members of the community to apply for a “House Call” appointment, which means that if a person fills out an application and is approved, Fire Inspector Jacob Steichen will make the visit to the individual’s residence to provide such equipment and install it for free.

As of March, Steichen and his team had installed over 30 new devices in the homes of Traverse City community members this year.

When Steichen visits the home, he assesses the current fire detector and carbon monoxide situation. While he is doing this, he attempts to educate the home’s occupants about the importance of changing the detector’s batteries and ensuring that the alarms are consistently working and placed properly in the individual rooms. Placement is a big concern for fire safety.

He also shows the homeowners what to look for when checking their alarms regularly, which he suggests doing once every month.

Not all fire equipment is the same. “The fire detectors that we’re installing in Traverse City are lithium-ion powered smoke alarms. So, these don’t need battery replacements,” Steichen said. He frequently reminds the public that no matter which alarm system is installed, it only has a 10-year shelf life – meaning that many people probably have expired alarms in their homes, leaving them open for danger.

He also works with the public to explain the difference between battery-operated detectors versus new lithium-ion ones, to ensure the homeowner is aware of the significant differences in installation, care and upkeep for the next 10 years.

During a house call, the Traverse City Fire Department will bring approximately $200 in new fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors, which are free of charge for the house’s occupants. This project is funded by a grant from MI Prevention, an arm of the state’s fire marshal office, to which municipalities can apply for funding for certain projects.

With this grant Traverse City was able to afford enough detectors for 25 homes: The department is continuously developing methods to acquire more.

To get the fire safety message to the community, Traverse City reached out to specific media outlets. The program has seen an increase in engagement in the past few months specifically because of the conversations happening around the community about this opportunity, as well as local news outlets’ interest in spreading the word.

The resource is available to any member of the community, but Steichen mentioned that priority goes to senior citizens and then to other low-income residents.

As with any project, this one also had a few snags along the way that made getting the devices installed a bit difficult. Steichen said, “A lot of people don’t understand home fire safety, so a lot of individuals that called had battery-only devices. They did not really need us to install new devices, but folks were still able to learn about the process. Some people have hardwired alarms, so we would have to work together to go through various online shopping sites to find compatible ones for those houses. If that was the case, homeowners would purchase the wired devices, and they could then be installed.”

No matter what the current home’s alarm situation is, Steichen is happy to make house calls to meet with community members and educate them as necessary. Moving forward, the Traverse City Fire Department wants to be able to develop a solid stock of fire alarms and carbon monoxide detectors to have readily available for anyone who may need new ones. They will continue educating the public on fire safety as well: This spring and summer, the department will host hands-on workshops with children at the local library to discuss fire safety with the younger generation.

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