The Red Cross Smoke Detector Program
Posted by John Ester
on Jan 19, 2016
Chuck Weitschat, Executive Director of the Northern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross, told us about the Red Cross program to install smoke alarms.
The Red Cross targets two segments of the population frequently in need of home smoke alarms: low income people and the elderly. In northern Michigan we have plenty of both.
Chuck has a team prepared to install smoke alarms but needs assistance in finding who needs them. The Red Cross has tried canvassing neighborhoods but has found this inefficient and ineffective. Instead, Chuck likes to hook up with local service clubs such as ours whose members are familiar with senior citizen centers and the like. Contacts can then be made and installation schedules established. Service clubs also can provide volunteers who can help with the set-up, installation and wrap-up (including contacting the local paper to highlight the club's participation).
Club members will follow up on Chuck's suggestions by contacting the Benzie County Council on Aging.