Smoke Alarms Available for Those in Need in Temple

Last week, I was informed early in the morning about a house fire that started overnight. My first thought was whether smoke detectors had failed thanks to old batteries or defects or whatever. As it turns out, no one was in the house so the alarms could have squealed their little buzzers off and the damn thing would have burned anyway.

You do want those things to work when you're at home, however: you usually have less than three minutes to escape a fire should you be caught off guard at home.

According to the National Fire Protection Association www.nfpa.org, three out of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. It doesn't need to be you.

Saturday, the Temple Rotary South club members and Temple Fire & Rescue firefighters will canvass neighborhoods checking for working smoke alarms for people who need help doing so. Get this: they will install at no charge a smoke alarm or replace the battery for families who are lacking smoke detection and cannot afford the purchase price. That's a great deal and a very nice thing to do!

According to a release from the city, here's where they'll be:
• One team will be in the neighborhood of West Adams Avenue to West French Avenue, between North 19th Street and North 23rd Street.
• The second team will be in the neighborhood of West Avenue K to West Avenue M, between South 7th Street and South 11th Street.

Also, Families who live in Temple and need a smoke alarm can call Temple Fire & Rescue's Administration Office at (254) 298-5682, Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. to schedule an appointment and they'll come out and help.

We don't want to see anyone lose their home or their lives in a fire. Reach out if you need help.