Norristown Fire Dept. and IBEW 380 Union Install Over 100 Free Smoke Detectors

The Norristown Fire Department collaborated with the Electrical Workers Union IBEW 380 based in Collegeville on Saturday to install free smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors for a number of Norristown residents.

Firefighters and union workers volunteering their time, as well as working firefighters, gathered around 10 a.m. and cheerfully knocked on doors of homes in the 500 block of Norris Street, the 500 block of Barbadoes Street and the 100 block of West Marshall Street to install smoke detectors and double-duty detectors that alert residents of both smoke and carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is a toxic, odorless gas, which rises.

Norristown fire chief Thomas M. O'Donnell spearheads the program, which has been funded by donation and is free to residents. “Smoke detectors never sleep,” he said. “A working smoke detector in a home increases the chances of survival.”

On Saturday they installed more than 100 detectors in around 50 homes, according to the Fire Department’s website.

According to O'Donnell, this was the second session of the free installations, following their first trip in April, where they installed the detectors in the 900 block of West Lafayette Street.

Adela Ramirez was one of the lucky recipients on Saturday of two smoke detectors and a double-duty detector. Residents participating in the program on Saturday generally received a smoke detector in their basements and one on their first floors. A detector that watches for both smoke and carbon monoxide was installed on the second floors.

Ramirez is grateful for the local firefighters. “There was a time when I had to call the fire department,” she said.

Saturday’s activities were also a chance to have the watchful eyes of firefighters and electricians looking out for something that was askew. The gas meter in front of one of the Norris Street houses was leaking gas today, said O'Donnell. The crew smelled it and called PECO, averting what could have been a real problem.

When encountering a home where no one answered the door, the crew left a hanging door tag in both English and Spanish with a number that residents could call if they are interested in a free detector installation. A Spanish translator, Sarahi Pineda, also a member of the Hancock Fire Company, helped translate in the bilingual neighborhood.

According to Pineda, the best part about the program is “being about to help a lot of people in the area who don’t know about the smoke detectors and how important they are,” she said. 

The workers chatted with local residents who were curious about the activity. Tyrone M. Baker, president of the union’s minority caucus, called out amiably to a young man on a Norris Street sidewalk, asking if he needed free detectors.

According to O’Donnell, those in Norristown who are interested in having free detectors installed can call 610-270-2870. The program is primarily aimed at owner-occupied homes and people in need.

Those who wish to donate, whether it is a monetary donation or a donation of detectors can call 610-292-8281.

While the Electrical Workers Union IBEW 380 is based in Collegeville, they serve a large area in Montgomery county and have Norristown members. To learn more about the IBEW 380, visit HERE.