Rotary and Red Cross Partner for Home Fire Safety

Posted by Richard Lee 
on Oct 12, 2010
 
On Saturday October 2nd each of the 33 Rocky's Ace Hardware stores on the east coast ran a four hour home fire safety effort, initiated by the American Red Cross Pioneer Valley Chapter and the Springfield Rotary Club.  This event was spearheaded by Rick Lee, Executive Director of the Red Cross chapter and Springfield Rotary Club member.  The event included fire department displays at some stores, fire safety literature aimed at children and parents and deeply discounted smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to encourage families to take stock of their home fire safety as we head into heating season.

Photo:  Springfield Rotarian Jim Russell at Rocky's Springfield Plaza store modeling one of the plastic fire hats given to children who attended the event.
 
Rotarians across the New England and in Florida staffed each of the 33 Rocky's Ace Hardware stores, speaking with shoppers, reminding them of the importance of ensuring that they have working smoke detectors and fresh batteries as they entered the colder months and upcoming heating season.  The event was planned after a tragic fire in 2009 took the lives of two children in Springfield in a home that lacked smoke detectors.  It was the hope of the Rotarians, the Red Cross and Rocky's Ace Hardware management that their efforts might prevent another family from suffering such a fate.  More than 350 smoke detectors were purchased during the four hour event at Rocky's stores.

A TV commercial run by Rocky's was aired in each of its New England and Florida markets.  Below is a link to the 22 News television coverage of the event:

http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/learning-how-to-heat-your-home-safely