NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A smoke detector is a small piece of technology that can save a life, and thanks to the Tennessee Fire Marshal's Office's grant-funded program, 'Get Alarmed,' at least 500 families are alive today.
Get Alarmed launched in 2012 when Tennessee's fire fatality rate was one of the highest in the nation. The program has played a key role in bringing that number down, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office.
"This program is literally saving the lives of people every day," said Kevin Walters, Communications Director for the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and the State Fire Marshal's Office.
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The State Fire Marshal's Office distributes the smoke detectors to local fire departments and volunteer groups who then install the smoke detectors for free. More than 300,000 smoke detectors have been distributed through Get Alarmed, and more than 265,000 have been installed, according to the SFMO.
Walters told News 2, most fires happen at night when people are asleep. While the flames of a fire are dangerous, the toxic smoke kills more people.
"It's the smoke in a home fire that is the greatest risk to people who are in homes," Walters said. "That toxic smoke contains all kinds of particulates that can kill you. That's what contributes to fire fatalities is the toxic smoke."
Get Alarmed had its 500th life-saving alert in March 2024 when a home in Pigeon Forge caught fire. The Pigeon Forge Fire Department had just installed free, state-provided smoke detectors in the home, which alerted the family of the fire, and they were able to evacuate before firefighters arrived on scene.
"A working smoke alarm works faster than the fastest fire truck," Walters said. "When it goes off in your home, the smoke alarm alerts people in your house that there is a fire there, there is smoke pouring out, and that they need to get up and get out of the house."
To qualify for free smoke detectors through Get Alarmed, you must live in at least a 10-year-old home in Tennessee with either no working smoke detectors or smoke detectors older than 10 years old. To request a free smoke detector, click here.
The SFMO offered other fire safety tips:
- Sleep with your bedroom doors closed. The door will create a barrier between you and the flames, giving you more time to escape
- Locate at least two exits in your home you can use in case of a fire, and establish a meeting place where your family can reunite after evacuating
