In Porter County, residents of the city of Valparaiso and Center Township are encouraged to call the Valparaiso Fire Department to have free smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms installed in their homes through the “Out To Alarm Valpo” Program. Officials say the program, launched in 2015, has already made hundreds of homes safer, and the department is encouraging more residents to sign up. “Working smoke alarms save lives,” said Valparaiso Fire Chief Chad Dutz, who created the program after firefighters noticed that many homes lacked reliable alarms. “Our goal is to make sure every household has the protection they need.”
Chief Dutz says since 2022, hundreds of alarms have been installed, and one family credits its working detectors installed by the fire department with allowing them to safely escape a house fire. Since 2022, the department says the program has made a measurable impact:
– 268 homes visited
– 597 residents served, including 213 seniors and 127 children
– 708 smoke alarms inspected – revealing that only 56% were working
– 402 new smoke alarms installed
– 45 smoke/CO combination alarms installed
– 216 CO alarms installed
Valparaiso and Center Township (Porter County) residents can request a free smoke detector or carbon monoxide (CO) alarm installation by visiting ValparaisoFire.org and clicking on “Request Smoke Alarm.” The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) estimates that in the United States a home fire is reported every 95 seconds, with one home fire death occurring every three hours.
In addition to installing smoke and CO alarms, the Valparaiso Fire Department offers home safety visits, providing guidance on fire prevention, fall prevention, cooking safety, and child safety. “Keeping our community safe goes beyond responding to emergencies — we’re here to help prevent them,” added Fire Chief Dutz.
