LSFD awarded grant:

will visit local neighborhoods to install smoke detectors

PRESS RELEASE: Krista Rose, City of Loveland

LOVELAND, OH (March 10, 2022) –  Beginning this Sunday, March 13, local firefighters will make door-to-door visits in City of Loveland and Symmes Township neighborhoods to check current smoke alarms and install new alarms, if needed.

Firefighter installs smoke detector as part of fire safety and prevention program (File photo)

These house calls will take place March through August 2022 and are part of the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department’s Smoke Detector Blitz Grant Program. Firefighters will be dressed in uniform and visit homes during the evenings and on weekends.

“We want to catch people when they are home,” said LSFD Deputy Chief Bruce Hawk. “It’s our goal to get working smoke detectors that are up to today’s building standards in every home.” 

Today, most newly constructed homes  have smoke detectors in every common space and bedroom.

“Research shows fire victims are most vulnerable in bedrooms. When you’re sleeping, you’re not as alert and not as ready to react,” Hawk explained. “This grant program gives us the resources to install detectors in as many homes as possible to help protect families.” 

LSFD will distribute up to 600 regular smoke detectors and 50 hearing impaired smoke detectors, which are equipped with strobe lights. All installed smoke detectors will have a tamper-resistant, 10-year sealed battery. Residents should look for signs and door hangers in their neighborhoods to announce when visits will begin. 

Fire Safety and prevention grant provides smoke detectors for homes (Stock image)

Updates will also be posted on the LSFD Facebook Page. The first scheduled neighborhood to visit is The Heights, beginning Sunday, March 13.

LSFD’s Smoke Detector Blitz Grant Program has been made possible through a Fire Prevention & Safety Grant totaling $58,095.24 through the Department of Homeland Security/FEMA for fiscal year 2020. LSFD will contribute $2,904.76 for a total approved project budget of $61,000. The funds will pay for personnel, equipment, and signage.

LSFD was one of 40 Fire Prevention & Safety Grant recipients in Ohio, competing against large city departments like Columbus and Cleveland. These grants are designed to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters by assisting fire prevention programs, as well as supporting firefighter health and safety research.

If you have questions about LSFD’s Smoke Detector Blitz Grant Program, please contact the Northeast Communications Dispatch Center at (513) 677-7000.

About the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department
Operating as a private fire company, the Loveland-Symmes Fire Department provides fire and emergency medical services to approximately 28,000 residents. LSFD is an accredited agency in both fire and EMS services from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE) and the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services (CAAS). In addition, LSFD has received a Class 1 Public Protection Classification rating from the Insurance Services Office, which assesses local fire departments’ readiness. Class 1 is the highest rating any fire department can receive, ranking LSFD as one of only 383 fire departments in the United States to achieve this honor.

For more information, please visit www.lsfd.org.