Paramedics responded to more than 1,180 falls from January through June this year, said public education specialist Michelle Foronda. The inspection includes a falls prevention check. In 1989, the department began distributing smoke alarms to the needy. Foronda said firefighters installed 1,183 smoke alarms in St. Petersburg homes in 1996, and more than 9,000 alarms since HomeSAFE's inception. Today, the department receives 30 to 50 requests a week for safety inspections, McGevna said.
Firefighters visit neighborhood association meetings to discuss safety.
We'll probably be in every school. Each year, Tandy Corp. donates 2,500 of the devices to the cause. People love it. If it's not, we'll replace the battery or it. Firefighters James Barr and Ray Landes began their work.