Sharon Schroder never thought that she would be without a home. But in 2008, her neighbor’s condo caught fire and spread to her unit, resulting in approximately $80,000 in damage.
“A Red Cross volunteer was the first person to talk to me about what to expect, what to do next, and to give me some water,” says Schroder. “They checked on me, not just the home. Their support during that difficult time made a world of difference."
Her experience with the Red Cross inspired her to become a volunteer with the organization, as well as an acting board member through her position as director of regulatory affairs for Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L).
October is Fire Safety Month, and on Friday, Oct. 21, Sharon was able to combine her professional and volunteer roles when DP&L employees partnered with trained Red Cross volunteers and the Riverside Fire Department to inspect and install smoke alarms in Riverside homes. The effort was part of the Red Cross’ smoke alarm installation project.
"The smoke alarm installation project is an initiative in which we go to neighborhoods in Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties that have a historically higher percentage of home fires, and we make sure residents have operating smoke alarms," says Laura Seyfang, Dayton-area executive director of the American Red Cross. "We go door-to-door and ask residents if they have a working smoke alarm, and if they don't, we install them."
The useful life of a smoke alarm is about seven years. If the white plastic on the exterior of the alarm has yellowed, it is a good sign that the detector likely is no longer functional.
“What we’ve found with older smoke alarms is that you can put a new battery in, but the smoke detecting mechanism is no longer operational,” says Seyfang. “We’ve been blessed with contributions from organizations like DP&L to be able to buy new smoke alarms that have a 10-year lithium battery, which only need replaced once every decade.”
In addition to donating new smoke alarms for all of the houses visited on Oct. 21, DP&L recently helped fund “After the Fire” kits for the City of Dayton Fire Department. “The kits contain items that an individual or family would need after a home loss due to a fire,” says Holly Wiggins, community outreach manager at DP&L. “Things like water, comfort objects for children, and helpful lists of what to do next are included. DP&L supports initiatives like the smoke alarm installation project and ‘After the Fire’ kits because they tie into our number-one value: put safety first.”
DP&L promotes safety, quality of life, and economic development in the Miami Valley through multiple volunteer projects, as well as donating more than $2.4 million annually to local organizations and causes like the Red Cross, United Way, Goodwill and The Foodbank.
“DP&L employees care deeply about the Miami Valley,” says Schroder. “It just made sense for DP&L to partner with the Red Cross to help spread the word about fire safety.”
If you are unsure if you have a working smoke alarm, call the Red Cross at (937) 221-7540.
