Fire safety campaign gets smoke alarms into Grove homes

JAMES CITY — Volunteers and fire personnel knocked on over 200 doors and installed nearly 100 smoke alarms recently as part of a safety outreach program in James City County’s Grove community.

The measure was an effort by Grove Christian Outreach Center, the James City County Fire Department and Waters Edge Church to raise fire safety awareness after a fatal house fire in Grove last month. Two people died in the fire.

The outreach center organized the door-to-door safety campaign because it wanted to do something meaningful in the wake of the fire. The home on Tarleton Bivouac did not have a working smoke detector at the time.

On Aug. 11, more than 30 volunteers knocked on doors along the Route 60 corridor of the Grove community, leaving pamphlets on what to do in case of an emergency. Fire department staff also installed smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in homes that needed them.

Those in need of working smoke detectors can always call the county fire department at 757-220-0626 to request an in-home visit from a fire crew, which will install up to three smoke detectors and provide one-on-one fire safety education. The service is free.

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