Area residents who are deaf may be able to get special smoke detectors installed in their homes for free through a new state program.
Iowa has received a $40,000 grant from State Farm Insurance to buy smoke detectors that use both sound and strobe lights to alert people to a fire. The program was announced Wednesday by State Fire Marshal Ray Reynolds and the Office of Deaf Services.
To request a smoke detector through this program, residents should call Linda Scott in the Office of Deaf Services at 281-3164 or (888) 221-3724. They can also send her an e-mail at Linda.Scott@iowa.gov.
There is no guarantee that everyone who applies will receive a smoke detector.