HNC bridge to close Thursday
October 9, 2012Nicholls CAN! food drive begins Wednesday
October 9, 2012
The Houma Fire Department along with local Domino’s restaurants are working together to promote fire prevention this week in Terrebonne Parish.
On a random selection basis, Domino’s is offering free pizza to any homeowner or business that has properly installed and working fire alarms.
“This year we got together with Domino’s to go out [today and Thursday] between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.,” HFD Chief Todd Dufrene said. “We are going to get with a pizza delivery driver and they are going to randomly pick six customers. Then we will take the pizza to those people in the fire truck and check their smoke alarms.”
Selected Domino’s customers will have pizzas ready and waiting while firefighters inspect residences or businesses for working fire alarms. If the customer’s alarms are properly installed and operational, the pizza order will be free.
“If they don’t have smoke detectors or they are not working we are going to either replace the battery in them or go ahead and put up new detectors [at no cost],” the fire chief said. “We are also going to have fire extinguishers and carbon monoxide alarms.”
The fire safety and pizza promotion is being financed in part by Domino’s and with a portion of a $57,000 federal grant awarded to the fire department for safety promotion.
“My crew is excited to be doing this with the fire department,” Domino’s store manager John Mitchell said from his location on Grand Caillou Road. “Safety is a priority for us and we are glad to help promote it in the home.”
Mitchell said there is no limit on what kind of pizza can be ordered, because the selection of those delivered by fire truck will be completely at random.
“Fire safety is vitally important, and Fire Prevention Week is a great time of year to check your smoke alarms and batteries,” Domino’s Pizza supervisor Palfrey Polk said in a news release. “We are thrilled to be working with [local departments] on a program to promote the safety of our friends and neighbors, and reward those who make fire safety a priority.”
“This is an important time of the year,” Dufrene said. “During Fire Prevention Week and for the entire month we are holding programs at schools and with different groups.”
Fire Prevention Week promotions are offered annually by local fire departments. “If people call and give us an address we will go out and install smoke alarms and fire extinguishers free of charge,” Dufrene said. “All the fire departments in the parish are offering free smoke alarms.”
Dufrene said homeowners need to have working smoke alarms as the first part of a fire prevention plan. “Smoke alarms are inexpensive,” he said. “If they can’t afford it the fire department will install one for them [at no cost].”
Joshua VanBuren, a fireman at Houma Central Fire Station, counts hats to be distributed during National Fire Prevention week. Fire Prevention Week is Oct. 7-13 this year.
