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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Firefighters, electricians to install fire alarms for seniors

Advertiser Staff

The Honolulu Fire Department said it has joined with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1186 to continue the department's Smoke Alarm Installation Program. IBEW volunteers and HFD members will install smoke alarms in about 100 senior citizens' homes through Friday.

"We are grateful, as the partnership with the IBEW will help us put more smoke alarms in seniors' homes," Fire Chief Kenneth Silva said in a news release. "We are now calling this our Smoke Alarms for Everyone (SAFE) Program, as our goal is to ensure all homes are equipped with smoke alarms. ... Our current focus is still on senior citizens, as this group is at higher risk for injury from home fires."

The program's goal is to install smoke alarms in homes without working smoke alarms and to educate residents on the importance of maintaining their smoke alarms. The SAFE Program began during Fire Prevention Week 2008, and about 600 smoke alarms were installed. It continued in September 2009 with the installation of an additional 100 smoke alarms through a community partnership with the Hawaiian Homestead Papakolea Community and the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.