The Montgomery County Fire Marshal’s Office and Needham Fire Department announced plans Thursday to offer free smoke alarms to residents in the Tamina community in south Montgomery County.
The announcement comes three weeks after a
house fire in Tamina killed three children and injured seven other family members and police officers trying to rescue the children. Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation, investigators do not suspect foul play, according to the fire marshal’s office.
Officials with the fire marshal’s office, Needham Fire Department and other community leaders and firefighters plan to go door-to-door throughout Tamina—which includes nearly 200 homes—in the coming weeks to install working smoke alarms in every bedroom in every home in the community. Smoke alarm manufacturers Kidde Inc. and First Alert have donated hundreds of smoke alarms designed to last up to 10 years, according to the fire marshal’s office.
Nearly all fatal fires in the last 10 years in Montgomery County have occurred in homes that either did not have any smoke alarms or were not functioning due to dead batteries, according to the fire marshal’s office.
Residents outside of the Tamina area in Montgomery County interested in receiving a free smoke alarm can contact their local fire station. To offset costs involved, the Needham Fire Department is accepting cash donations as well.