Fire department offering free smoke detectors to Oceana County residents

Fire department offering free smoke detectors to Oceana County residents

By Allison Scarbrough, Editor

SHELBY — The Shelby-Benona Fire Department has a large supply of smoke detectors, and the firefighters would like to install them in houses around Oceana County.

The smoke detectors and the installation are both free.

“We have a lot of smoke detectors, and they’re not doing anybody any good sitting in my closet,” said Shelby Fire Chief Jack White. “If you live in Oceana County, we’ll put smoke detectors in your house.”

To set up an appointment, either send a message to the Shelby-Benona Fire Department Facebook page or call the fire station at 231-861-5525 and leave a voicemail message.

“We’ll set up an appointment, and a couple of our guys will come out and install it. They’re 10-year sealed units, so you don’t have to buy batteries every year for them. They have a 10-year life.”

The smoke detectors were procured through a state grant, said the chief. They must be installed by the firefighters and not the homeowner. “We have to put data in when we install them — we don’t just hand them to the people.

“Once they’re gone, we will re-apply for another grant to get some more.” The money is generated through fireworks sales, said the chief. “When people buy fireworks, a certain percentage of what they pay is a fee that goes towards fire prevention or fire service.”

Please consider helping to fund local news. Mason County Press and Oceana County Press are available for free thanks to the generous support of our advertisers and individuals. Three ways to help us: Venmo: @MasonCountyPress; Paypal: MasonCountyPress@gmail.com; Mail a check to PO BOX 21, Scottville, MI 49454.

This story is copyrighted © 2023, all rights reserved by Media Group 31, LLC, PO Box 21, Scottville, MI 49454. No portion of this story or images may be reproduced in any way, including print or broadcast, without expressed written consent.

As the services of Media Group 31, LLC are news services, the information posted within the sites are archivable for public record and historical posterity. For this reason it is the policy and practice of this company to not delete postings. It is the editor’s discretion to update or edit a story when/if new information becomes available. This may be done by editing the posted story or posting a new “follow-up” story. Media Group 31, LLC or any of its agents have the right to make any changes to this policy. Refer to Use Policy for more information.