Gwinnett Firefighters to Provide 4,000 Smoke Detectors Thanks to a Special Grant

A firefighter assistance grant will enable Gwinnett County to initiate a two-year program, aimed at reaching communities with a high number of calls for help.

Specifically, the $62,520 grant will go toward providing about 4,000 smoke detectors for elderly residents and low-incomes families, and running a two-year program called "Residential F.A.C.T. (firefighters and communities together).

As part of the program, firefighters will visit homes within 10 communities to raise awareness of fire hazards, install smoke alarms and to communicate proper fire safety practices. Some fire safety educators will be Spanish speakers.

"These grants will help us proactively save lives and protect property in our community," Gwinnett Fire Chief Casey Snyder said in a press release. "We want residents to learn safety measures and interact with firefighters on a non-emergency basis."

By the Numbers:

640: Average number of residential fires responded to by Gwinnett County firefighters

12: Fire-related deaths in Gwinnett County over past two years

8: Recent fires in two mobile home communities

40: Percentage of residents in those mobile homes are seniors on fixed incomes

98: Percentage of those mobile homes without working smoke detectors