PANACEA, Fl. (WTXL) -- Wakulla County Fire and Rescue, along with the American Red Cross, delivered fire detectors to homes in Panacea Thursday in the same neighborhood where two teens lost their lives in a fire. Local volunteers along with the two organizations canvassed the town to help make sure tragedies like Wednesday's fire won't happen again.
"We're providing fire safety education", said Kathryn Purifoy. "We're encouraging people to have a fire escape plan to get out of the home within two minutes." Volunteers and fire fighters alike went around the neighborhoods in Panacea installing smoke detectors that have batteries that last for 10 years, though they still recommend periodic testing.
The smoke detectors come as the result of the American Red Cross's new national campaign to reduce the number of home fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent in the next five years. "It's a very common problem that we find smoke detectors that are inoperable because of a dead battery", said Michael Morgan, chief of the Wakulla County Fire Rescue.
The problem is easily correctable; "If people do not have smoke alarms in their homes, their risk of fatality, injury, or property damage, is greatly increased", said Purifoy.
To request your own free smoke alarms, you can call Kathryn Purifoy at (850)-878-6080 ext. 5615 or email her at kathryn.purifoy@redcross.org
