Kudos to RFD for smoke alarm emphasis

When most of us think of the duties of a local fire department, we come up with images of disasters we all hope never to face – flames pouring of windows, smoke engulfing rooftops – and chilling turns of phrase like “fully involved” and “total loss.” In our mind’s eye we see an iconic red pumper truck or ladder truck racing to the scene, sirens blaring, and brave men and women leaping out, hoses in hand, to meet the danger bravely head-on.

These men and women deserve our thanks for their commitment to waging battle against what can be one of our deadliest, most destructive foes.

This image we envision, however, show a picture of firefighters who are taking reactive action – trying to resolve a problem with as little loss to life and property as possible. Being reactive is, sometimes, all that can be done. A proactive stance, however, is often more effective – and that’s the mentality adopted at Russellville Fire Department.

We want to commend the RFD for not only their efforts to put out the flames but also their emphasis on trying to mitigate the damage a fire can do before emergency response ever arrives on scene – by making sure each home in Russellville has a smoke detector.

According to a report from the National Fire Protection Association, approximately three of every five home fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms (38 percent) or no working smoke alarms (21 percent).

We’re glad the RFD is on the offensive to make sure this isn’t the story in Russellville.

Within just the past few years the RFD has launched multiple free smoke alarm giveaways. If needed, a Russellville firefighter will even come install the alarm for you to make sure it is done properly.

If your home does not have a smoke alarm, we hope you will take advantage of this free offer from the RFD to add a little extra protection to your home, in case of a fire.