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Make sure you have operating smoke detectors

A display is on exhibit all month at City Hall, 23 Russell Blvd., and firefighters are visiting first-grade classes and retirement communities to reach senior citizens.

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Did you know that in Paducah, the Red Cross responded to 23 home fires a year ago? Numerous agencies had fun events and games in conjunction with the campaign. To combat these tragic statistics, the Red Cross has launched this campaign, hoping to reduce the number of deaths and injuries due to home fires by 25 percent over the next five years. They visited around 280 homes, installed free smoke detectors and educated families on fire preparedness.

Location matters when it comes to your smoke alarm. A smoke detector is like a watch dog, lettin…

Red Cross Disaster Program Manager, Dustin Calhoun, said installing smoke alarms cuts the risk of someone dying from a home fire in half – a message that is worth repeating.

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Practice that plan. What’s the household’s escape time? The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that 4% of homes without smoke alarms represent more than one quarter of reported home fires and more than one-third of home fire deaths. Like the saying says, “The next life you save may be your own”. “And if you don’t have a working smoke detector, you’re probably not gonna make it out”. Go to your outside meeting place and call the Fire Department from outside the home.

American Red Cross goes door to door, teaching fire safety