Hot topic: IFD door-to-door blitz aims to save lives

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Expect to see fire trucks rolling and firefighters strolling the streets and sidewalks of Indianapolis in the coming days.

The Indianapolis Fire Department is sending out crews from all of the city’s 44 stations on a smoke alarm blitz.

IFD says the firefighters are going door to door, the mornings of Aug. 1st and 2nd, talking with people across 79 neighborhoods.

The effort essentially covers every area IFD covers, from 96th Street to the north down to County Line Road to the south, and from High School Road to the west out to Carroll Road out east.

The goal is to help prevent tragedies by discussing fire prevention, escape plans, and the proper equipment for detecting smoke in homes.

Department leaders chose the date for the visits because this week marks exactly ten years since the passage of an ordinance encouraging all houses in the city to have at least one 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm.

Such detectors differ from conventional versions in that they eliminate the need for changing batteries every six months. They also feature an end-of-life warning, signaling that it’s time for a new one.

City rules also require new homes to have detectors that are linked together, so that if one rings, all of them ring.

IFD has long offered access to free smoke alarms, through the Fire and Life Safety Division.

During the blitz, firefighters are handing out information about the alarms, making sure homeowners and renters have direct access to the resources.

You can also arrange installation of an alarm through the IFD Smoke Alarm Hotline at 317-327-6093 or this link.