Community Corner
Dozens Of Bed-Stuy Homes Get New Fire Alarms
FDNY and Red Cross volunteers distributed over 100 smoke alarms to Bed-Stuy locals this week.
BED-STUY, NY — Dozens of Bed-Stuy homes got new smoke alarms this week as New York City closed out a year full of deadly flames.
On Monday, volunteers with the FDNY and American Red Cross installed some 134 free smoke alarms to 45 Bed-Stuy homes, representatives of the Red Cross said.
The distribution is part of a larger effort dubbed "Sound the Alarm" — which had previously registered the Bed-Stuy residents for the new equipment.
Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Nationwide, home fires claim seven lives every day but having a working smoke alarm can reduce this risk of death by half," American Red Cross representatives said.
After a deadly Bed-Stuy fire in November, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh raised alarm bells that New York City was on track to have a particularly deadly year, the New York Daily News reported.
Find out what's happening in Bed-Stuyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
“We are on track to surpass 100 fire deaths this year,” Kavanagh said. “That is an extraordinary number not seen in decades.”
Bed-Stuy saw many dangerous fires last year, including a fire that killed a mother and her two daughters on Gates Avenue.
Locals can sign up for a free smoke alarm installation at this website.
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