Fire Safety Canvassing Event

Thursday January 16, 2014 the American Red Cross and Kansas City Fire Department partnered up to canvass an area neighborhood in the northeast part of Kansas City recently devastated by a fatality house fire. The fire happened on January 4, 2014  near St. John and Lawndale Avenues.

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The goal was to promote safety such as having working smoke detectors and a fire escape plan for the entire family so everyone knows how to escape a fire safely. Volunteers and fire fighters went door-to-door in a 3-block radius (of St. John and Lawndale Avenues) hanging up door hangers and sharing information about fire escapes and smoke alarms. Over 600 Fire Safety door hangers were distributed.

Fire Marshal Floyd Peoples said the fire department will often organize a neighborhood canvas following a fatal fire because it's a time when people close-by will have a higher likelihood to make a permanent behavioral change. That is the goal for the neighborhood near St. John and Lawndale Avenues, that people will make a change and install working smoke detectors in their home. There were two smoke detectors inside the home, but they did not have any batteries.

The victims family including his mother Nancy as well as sister Debbie Finley were on hand for the event. She said her family grew up being taught to check their smoke detectors twice a year (January 1st and July 4th) so she didn't understand why her brother didn't have working smoke detectors. She said her hope is the message from today will get out and everyone will have working smoke detectors in their home so that no other family has to grieve.



The fire department offers smoke detectors and will even come and install them.

Visit http://www.kcmo.org/Fire for more information on how to sign up.




Here are some pictures from Thursdays Fire Safety promotion event:

Thank you to KCFD for inviting Red Cross volunteers and staff to assist with this safety event! Fire safety will always be a topic close to my heart so I appreciate that I am able to participate in events like this!

Several local news channels were present at the event. There coverage is included via links to their pages:

Here is a link to KSHB Channel 41's coverage of Thursday's Fire Safety Canvassing Event:  http://www.kshb.com/dpp/news/local_news/firefighters-volunteers-canvas-neighborhood-to-promote-safety-following-fatal-fire.

Here is a link to KMBC TV 9's coverage of Thursday's Fire Safety Canvassing Event: 
http://www.kmbc.com/news/kansas-city/grieving-family-takes-fire-safety-message-door-to-door/-/11664182/23964744/-/btfehiz/-/index.html