Arrange for utilities companies to furnish the fire department with addresses where utilities are cut off. This alone might cause modification of policies when the utility finds that someone cares. A visit to the affected household should include provision of working smoke detectors. Specific hazards should be addressed. One fire I am aware of was caused by the burning of rubber firs in a gas log fireplace.
Many people are ashamed to let others know their circumstances.
It might be well for the company making the visit to park the apparatus a couple of blocks away and one or two members go to address on foot or in a member's private car. The fire department should bring local welfare department and charity organizations into the picture for whatever assistance they can render. The U.S. Postal Service has a program in which carriers report any serious problems concerning senior citizens. The ingenuity of your public relations staffs can be applied to this project. The need is urgent and the problem won't wait for analysis.