The Mississippi Insurance Department Fire Services Division has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to aid in its efforts to install free smoke alarms statewide.

The FEMA funding will provide approximately 40,000 long-life smoke alarms with 10-year lithium batteries included to residents who currently don’t have a smoke alarm or have inoperable smoke alarms inside their homes. The MID’s ongoing Free Smoke Alarm Installation Program also includes in-home fire prevention education, home escape planning, and complementary materials for residents to consult when planning in the case of a fire.

“Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home by more than half,” State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney said. “The smoke alarms we’re

See Full Page