May 19, 2013
A Local 8 Weather Alert has been issued for today. Because of the threat of rain, thunder and even hail, outdoor activities may be disrupted or inconvenienced. What's going on? An upper-level low will be moving across East Tennessee today, creating a more unstable atmosphere.
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) - It's a small, relatively cheap device that can save your life.
But you might be surprised how many families don't have a smoke detector.
"We are going door to door making sure everyone has a smoke detector. We're trying to hit some high risk areas," said Captain Tim Ogle with the Blount County Fire Department.
Armed with a handful of smoke alarms and a map, the Blount County Fire Department is making the rounds to check and see who has a smoke detector and who doesn't.
They're making house calls because they've seen it before: on Christmas Day, there was a house fire. The family got out but the fire was fully involved, and no smoke detector to warn them to call 911.
"It allowed them time to get out before the smoke is too much to get out," said Captain Ogle.
Local 8 News spent an hour with the department, and there was not a single smoke detector found.
That's not a surprise says the captain, last year alone they handed out close to 400.
Thanks to state grants, several counties, including Blount, are giving out free smoke detectors.
If you need one, call your local fire department.
