If you live in Springfield’s Midtown neighborhood, you might get a visit by a firefighter starting Saturday, May 25.
Springfield firefighters will go door to door in the neighborhood, bordered by Boonville to the west, National to the east, Chestnut Expressway to the south and Blaine St. to the north, as part of Project RED Zone. They’ll test batteries in smoke alarms, replace non-working ones and install smoke alarms in homes that don’t have them.
Project RED Zone, a reference to the red areas on the Springfield Fire Department’s map of fire incidents, stands for Reduce, Educate, Deliver. It's part of SFD’s Community Risk Reduction (CRR) program. The multifaceted campaign aims to ensure all homes in high-risk areas of the city have working smoke alarms.
Since April 2017, Springfield firefighters have installed 2,648 smoke alarms in area neighborhoods as a part of Project RED Zone.
According to the Springfield Fire Department, two lives have been saved as a result of smoke alarms installed during Project RED Zone canvassing. In September 2017, the occupant of a West Central neighborhood apartment was notified of a fire in a neighboring apartment by the smoke alarm that had been installed two months before by Springfield fire crews, according to the department. In November of last year, the occupant of another West Central neighborhood apartment was notified of a fire in a unit below her when their smoke alarm sounded. That alarm had also been installed by Springfield fire crews the previous January.
Working smoke alarms double your chances of surviving a fire, according to the department. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, in each bedroom and outside each sleeping area.
Project RED Zone is funded with from the American Red Cross of Southern Missouri, Safe Kids Springfield, FEMA Fire Prevention and Safety grants and general revenue SFD funds designated for public education.
The Fire Department offers free smoke alarms and batteries to anyone in need. To obtain a free alarm, call 417-874-2300.
