First Responder of the Month - Walker Co. Fire & Rescue

The entire Walker County Fire & Rescue wins our First Responder of the Month Award for their effort to install smoke alarms.

First responder segment.

Instead of saluting an individual law enforcement officer, firefighter, or ems professional, we are featuring an agency.

The folks at walker county fire and rescue deserve a pat on the back and our bill mitchell does that in tonight's first responder of the month.

We all know from experience that smoke detectors do save lives.

And if it weren't for individiual organizations like the people at walker county fire and rescue...who go out to homes and install the devices free of charge...there would likely be more deaths and injuries from home fires.

Regina dorsey , fire/safety educator "we installed smoke alarms back in october of 2018 and at a home here in walker county, and because of those smoke alarms they were able to get out of their house---not unharmed completely but at least they were able to get out of the home alive."

The smoke alarms were provided by the red cross, who wanted to honor the walker county fire department for their efforts...and they had an awards ceremony in february and handed out awards to members of that organization.

It was a first for the red cross, too.

One of those honored at the awards ceremony was the younster who took the first steps to getting the smoke alarm installed.

Regina dorsey "in the fall we had a program at saddle ridge elementary middle school."

"while they were there, he talked to his grandmother about, hey, they'll come put smoke alarms in our house, she signed up for smoke alarms."

Sot---boy the grandfather in the home was seriousluy burned but all got out.

Also, in addition to the 6 people in that home....a smoke alarm installed by the walker firefighters saved two more lives in a house fire a few weeks later.

It was a valuable lesson for the people of walker county, and a chance for the red cross to honor the firefighters, one and all.

Itg was a pleasure for us to join in recognizing the work of the red cross and the walker county fire and recsue crews by presenting them outr first responder of the month award.

James wettermark, wettermark keith in walker county, bill mitchell news 12 now.

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