Brunswick Fire Chief's smoke detector campaign get boost from Lowe's

Apr. 29—Brunswick Fire Chief Randy Mobley was at Lowe's hardware Wednesday morning fighting fires in the city before they even get started.

The folks at Lowe's were helping Mobley stock his arsenal for the Brunswick Fire Department's fight against a home fire's most devastating and tragic consequences. Lowe's manager Greg Wingate gave Mobley a sweetheart of a deal on 300 brand new smoke detectors.

Mobley has an even better deal for city residents. The smoke detectors are free.

Residents do not even have to lift a finger other than to dial the fire department at 912-267-5546. A couple of firefighters from the department will come to the house and personally install the new smoke detectors.

It is part of Mobley and the department's six-year crusade to see that every home in Brunswick has adequate warning for those inside to reach safety should a fire threaten their home.

"We know that smoke detectors save lives," Mobley said, "and we want everyone in our city to have that life-saving advantage. We will install smoke detectors in the city for free. This is the largest proactive action we can take to save lives."

In 2015, two people died in two separate house fires in Brunswick within five months. Neither home had working smoke detectors.

In 2016, the Brunswick Fire Department started its Knock4Life campaign. Firefighters have since installed more than 10,000 free smoke detectors in city residents' homes, Mobley said. Most homes require at least three smoke detectors for adequate coverage.

Mobley constantly reaches out to community leaders to help the department ensure that free smoke detectors are available when folks come calling for them. Wingate and Lowe's Assistant Manager John Futch were among the most recent to reach back.

Lowe's arranged to sell the 300 smoke detectors at cost to the city fire department. The smoke detectors will arrive shortly.

The deal saves the Brunswick Fire Department $7 on the cost of each smoke detector, or about $2,000. The remaining money to seal the deal comes from the Knock4Life campaign fund, Mobley said.

The fire department collects aluminum cans, finding that the pennies on the pound offered at the local recycling center adds up to big money for the Knock4Life effort. Additionally, civic groups, business leaders and charitable residents also donate to the fund.

Lowe's has been working with the Brunswick Fire Department's smoke detector campaign for years. While Lowe's might be a nationwide chain with headquarters somewhere else, the local store employs local workers and is active in the community, Wingate said.

"We might be a large retail center, but we are a part of this community," Wingate said. "This is important. One of those smoke detectors might go to one of our employees, or to a loyal customer. Either way, we want to help."

Brunswick firefighters went door-to-door that first year in 2016, aiming to reach every residence in the city with an offer to install smoke alarms. They had installed new smoke detectors in 1,097 homes by July of that year, leaving callback messages at 3,847 other residences.

Hard work? You bet. But Mobley knows the effort is worth it. There have been many home fires in Brunswick since the Knock4Life campaign started. There have been no fire- related deaths since then.

For the past two years Mobley has kept one of the simple devices on his desk at Brunswick Fire Station on Gloucester St. It reminds him that the extra effort is worthwhile.

"This alarm woke a family of five up at 2 o'clock in the morning," Mobley said. "Everyone got out safe, and the fire was small enough they put it out themselves because of the detectors' early warning."

Mobley kept the alarm for a souvenir, giving the owner a new one.

With the COVID-19 pandemic loosening its grip, firefighters started a new door-to-door campaign two weeks ago. So far, they have installed 58 smoke detectors.

"It's more work," Mobley said. "We don't have to do it. But we know that it works, it saves lives. And that's what we're here for."

Anyone who wishes to donate to the smoke detector campaign can write checks to the Brunswick Fire Department, for Knock4Life, and send to Station 1, 1201 Gloucester St., 31520.

Mobley also welcomes donations of aluminum cans for the campaign.

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