Two elderly Butte residents recently joined the ranks of people who may owe their lives to a smoke alarm program administered by the state Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).

When firefighters rushed to the couple’s home early on the morning of May 11, the structure was ablaze and the smoke alarms were still sounding.

“The couple got out safely because their smoke alarms woke them,” said Thom Danenhower, injury prevention specialist with DPHHS. “The fire started in the living room and surely would have resulted in at least one fatality and possibly two if the alarms hadn’t worked.”

The Butte Fire Department installed the smoke alarms in the past year as part of a program coordinated by DPHHS and funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since July 2003, firefighters have installed more than 4,000 long-life lithium-battery alarms in more than 750 Butte residences.

Danenhower explained that local health and fire departments can contract with the state to establish the smoke alarm program in their communities. So far, 12 communities--including Helena and Great Falls--have done so, and close to 8,000 smoke alarms have been installed.

“To date, the project has saved six lives that we know of,” Danenhower said, “and it has alerted residents in time to prevent fires in 23 cases.”

Montana receives about $145,000 a year to fund the project, which also involves home safety inspections.

“Besides being cost effective at preventing property loss, the program has saved lives and spared people pain and suffering,” Danenhower said. “Installing a smoke alarm can be such a simple way to avoid catastrophe, and people constantly need to be reminded of that. Smoke alarms save lives.”

For more information about the program, contact Danenhower at 444-4126 or tdanenhower@state.mt.us.