Cranberry Seniors Eligible For Free Smoke Detectors

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, PA - Cranberry residents age 65 and older are eligible for free smoke detectors as part of the township volunteer fire company's ongoing fire safety education program.

Battery-operated smoke detectors will be distributed Dec. 9-11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the township municipal center on Rochester Road. Monday and Tuesday’s distribution will be held in Council Chambers, while Wednesday’s will be held in the Bear Run Room.

To receive a free smoke detector, a person must be a township resident and home owner. Detectors will be given on a first come, first served basis with a limit of two per household while supplies last.

Cranberry Township Volunteer Fire Company officials strongly believe in the importance of having working smoke detectors, as research indicates three out of five fire deaths occur in homes without functional alarms. According to the U.S. Fire Administration and the American Red Cross, the risk of dying in a home fire is reduced by 50 percent when a working smoke alarm is installed.

Seniors are among the most vulnerable and comprise 8.5 percent of the Township’s population. Data indicates seniors are 2.7 times more likely to die in a house fire, and those 85 and over are 3.8 times more likely than the total population.