The fire prevention and safety grant was provided as part of the federal Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. It was awarded last month and approved by city commissioners last week.
The smoke alarms with a 10-year battery life will be dispersed in low-income neighborhoods with a concentration on residents age 65-and-over — the group most affected by fires, Miller said.
“That’s going to be our target audience,” he said.
The division will use census data to identify low-income neighborhoods, he said. They’ll also partner with United Senior Services to solicit members whose homes may be in need of fire protection in those areas, Miller said.
The division will also be developing forms to perform home fire safety inspections as part of the process, he added. By creating records for each specific household, the division can track data and be more prepared for fires.
The division recently participated in the strategic planning process and identified community risk reduction as a priority, Miller said. The cost of 1,000 smoke alarms can be equal to or more than rebuilding one home destroyed by a fire, he added.
Last month, the division partnered with the American Red Cross to install about 35 smoke detectors in homes in the neighborhood around McCreight Avenue during a three-hour time frame, Miller said. It was a learning experience for the upcoming prevention project, he added.
It can take up to three firefighters to install the smoke detectors, including the inspection and home education portion, Miller said.
“The beauty is that we have a whole year to do it and we have three shifts and we’re here 24/7,” he said. “We have lots of opportunity to get that done.”
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