WFD, Papa John's Team Up For FIre Prevention Month
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
October is Fire Prevention Month.
Warsaw Fire Department and Papa John's, Warsaw, are teaming up to promote the importance of smoke detectors in Kosciusko County homes.
WFD and Papa John's are holding a smoke detector drive on two unannounced nights the week of Oct. 13-18."Promoting smoke detectors in the home is a very important role for fire departments, and we are excited to have the opportunity to team up with Papa John's," said WFD Chief Mike Rice.
WFD employees will follow Papa John's delivery vehicles to homes that have ordered pizzas on two nights.
With the homeowner's approval, the fire department will check the detectors in homes.
If residents have detectors and they are functioning properly, Papa John's employees will give the homeowner a coupon for one large, one topping pizza.
If no detectors are present or if the detectors are not working, fire department employees will install detectors or replace the batteries for free, and they will not receive a Papa John's coupon.
Papa John's will promote the detector drive this weekend by placing box toppers on pizza boxes with information about the detector drive.
Jeremy Williams, WFD firefighter, came up with the idea for the smoke detector drive.
"It has been proven that early detection of smoke by using smoke detectors saves lives," Williams said.
He said he heard other fire departments in the area have done a similar drive, and Williams thought it would be a great way to promote the importance of smoke detectors.
Mandy Richards, Papa John's general manager, said she knows the importance of smoke detectors in homes first hand.
When she was a teenager, her home caught fire and a smoke detector was not present in her home.
"I truly believe smoke detectors save lives, and if I had a smoke detector growing up, it would have sensed the smoke when there was a fire," Richards said.
Warsaw Fire Department, in conjunction with the Kosciusko County Firemen's Association, currently provide free smoke detectors to residents in Kosciusko County.
The detectors are funded through the association, Warsaw Fire Department's budget and donations received from Lowe's.
