Rapid Valley Fire installs smoke alarms for safety

 The Rapid Valley Volunteer Fire Department and American Red Cross teamed up to install smoke detectors for families Saturday morning.       

The Dexter Johnson family recently escaped a fire in their Rapid City home, they’re also joined in, to make sure other South Dakotans are prepared in the event of a fire.

"Having a working smoke alarm in your home cuts the chances of dying in a fire in your home in half. Roughly two thirds of home fire deaths in the United States are at homes that don’t have working smoke detectors or smoke alarms at all," said Rapid Valley Fire Captain Jim Bussell.

Nearly 12 families signed up to have smoke alarms installed in their homes.

The crews also went door-to-door throughout the neighborhood making sure families are prepared and have an escape plan.

Dexter Johnson, father of the affected home added, "I think we are going to go to their neighbors also of each house just to make sure, check their alarms, put some batteries in if they need it.  And then hopefully they’ll never need the alarm to work but if it does it’s there."

Smoke alarms are good for 10 years and you are encouraged to test the alarms every month.