COVINGTON, KY –The Covington Fire Department participated in the American Red Cross “A Cause for Alarms: Mega Blitz 2017” event on Saturday, April 29, 2017.

Firefighters installed smoke detectors in homes throughout Northern Kentucky and Ohio. The event was created as an initiative to educate residents on the importance of smoke alarm safety and to decrease fire related fatalities and injuries.

The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the American Red Cross partnered with four local fire departments, Covington, Bellevue/Dayton, Cincinnati and Norwood, to create the second annual “A Cause for Alarms: Mega Blitz 2017,” the largest smoke alarm installation event in the City’s history.

Assistant Chief Kiely stated, “The on duty fire crews put forth a great effort to get these alarms installed, because they spent the first half of the event responding to weather related emergencies and then continued to make their normal emergency responses while participating in the ‘Blitz’. 

“The residents were very appreciative of the Fire Department’s efforts and the firefighters enjoyed their interactions with the citizens, knowing that this was an opportunity to ‘do good’ in the community.”

The event was a huge success and despite the rain and weather, the Covington Fire Department successfully installed a total of 77 smoke detectors in 39 homes throughout the City.

Below is a breakdown of the smoke alarm distribution throughout Covington:

Additionally, volunteers launched from JACK Casino and began knocking on doors throughout Covington, Dayton, Bellevue, Madisonville, OH, Oakley, OH, Norwood, OH, Bond Hill, OH, Paddock Hills, OH, St. Bernard, OH, installing smoke alarms.

The “Cause for Alarms” program is part of a larger effort by the Red Cross to eliminate home fire tragedies by installing free smoke alarms in area homes. On average, seven people die each day across the nation from home fires, with 36 suffering from injuries. In many cases, these deaths and injuries can be prevented with the presence of smoke alarms.

In addition to large events such as the “Cause for Alarms,” the Red Cross regularly canvasses neighborhoods throughout the tri-state, and installs alarms in homes of those who request them. Requests can be made by calling 513-579-3003. So far this year, the Red Cross has installed more than 6,000 smoke alarms around the region.