Free giveaway-rarely do these two words appear together in the English language without some kind of qualifier.
Usually in the real world that phrase is followed with some kind of asterisk or small print that indicates the giveaway is only triggered after spending X amount of dollars.
Greater Napanee Fire’s smoke and carbon monoxide detector program, which wrapped up this weekend, had no such catch. Alright-well maybe not completely without a disclaimer, as anyone wanting to take part in the program, known as Project Zero, did have to be a resident of Greater Napanee. And they had to bring in a smoke alarm at least 10 years old in order to swap it out for a new model. Considering any smoke alarm a decade or older is considered to be obsolete and can’t really be relied on in an emergency, handing one in for a brand new one free of charge is a pretty good deal. As an added bonus, they come with a 10-year, worry-free battery already installed.
Odds are pretty good a lot of home owners right now have smoke alarms that pre-date 2013-and most don’t even realize it. At first glance 10 years might seem like a long time, but it can be amazing how quickly those years fly by-especially since the last three years have a tendency to kind of blend into one. It was only while covering the announcement of Project Zero for the paper that this reporter decided to check the dates of the alarms around the home/office. Surprise, surprise, the alarms bought in 2013 when first moving into the home were in fact ‘expired’.
Buying a smoke alarm is a unique investment in that a person shells out upwards of $50 for a piece of equipment they hope they never have to use. With a bit of luck, the only time an alarm will sound is when dinner gets overcooked. If the alarm goes a full 10 years without ever being activated, fantastic. Sure that means that money could have been saved, but in the grand scheme of things a homeowner should be thrilled to recycle a disc that never saw any use.
The benefits of a smoke alarm and carbon monoxide are obvious-the sooner occupants know about a potential life-threatening emergency, the better. Beyond that, it’s the least a homeowner or landlord can do for the brave men and women of our local fire department. Those who don bunker gear are willing to rush into a burning building to risk their lives to save the life of a complete stranger. Anything someone can do to prevent that from having to happen is always worthwhile. And if all that’s not reason enough-it’s the law and a hefty fine awaits those caught without proper protection.
And so we give a shout out to Napanee Fire, and corporate sponsor Enbridge Gas, for their part in making Project Zero happen. There are now no doubt several households now better equipped from the worst case scenario-for the next 10 years no less.
-Adam Prudhomme