The Portage Fire Department had a successful evening this past Thursday as they canvased Portage for their Safe Family Program. The firefighters went door to door offering free smoke alarm inspections and replacements for homes that had out of date alarms or even none at all. Homeowner Chris Pleasants received a visit on Thursday and was pleasantly surprised.

Chris Pleasants"I think it's great. Anything you don't have to pay for is fantastic. I that's a great idea. We were kind of surprised. We didn't know anything about it. It's certainly a good idea to make sure the are all working and everything."

Firefighter Landeyn Aymont says the program is a great way to spread awareness about fire safety and make sure homes in the area are protected. He notes if your area wasn't canvased this year, you make an appointment by calling the Portage Fire Department.

"All you have to do is call the Fire Hall at 204-239-8340. Make your appointment and one of us will come down and check your smoke alarms. If you don't have an alarm, we will install some for you. And if your alarms are old or defective we will install some for you as well. It's a great program. I love it." 

Aymont notes they encourage people to give them a call, noting they have booked appointments, but would love to make every home in the area as safe as possible.