ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 31, 1996 TAG: 9601310076
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI
Four Roanoke Valley Rotary Clubs bought about 1,000 smoke detectors and will donate them to fire departments in Roanoke, Roanoke County, Salem and Vinton.
The donation was spurred by the Stewart Avenue Southeast fire on Jan. 20, which killed a grandmother and four children. Fire investigators did not find any smoke detectors in the victims' rented house.
``We wanted to provide people time to get out of harm's way,'' said Brian Duncan, president of the Rotary Club of the Roanoke Valley.
The fire department in each jurisdiction will distribute the smoke detectors free. If a person is incapable of going to the fire station to get a smoke detector, fire personnel will deliver and install it free, Duncan said.
The clubs spent about $4,000 to get the smoke detectors from GE Supply at a reduced cost. Duncan said the smoke detectors will be distributed based on the number of households in each jurisdiction. Roanoke will receive the bulk of them - 490 smoke detectors.
The detectors are expected to be delivered Monday.
LENGTH: Short : 29 linesby CNB