High schooler hosts smoke alarm installation event for Beaverton seniors

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A local high school student is taking fire safety a step further by organizing a community smoke alarm installation event.

Isaac Choi and his team recently installed 30 smoke alarms in about five hours in the Beaverton area for senior citizens.

“They had old smoke alarms and we replaced them,” Choi said. “Or if they didn't have smoke alarms, we installed them.”

The Oregon Charter Academy junior is on the Youth Executive Board for the Red Cross.

He wanted to do a smoke alarm installation as his project after seeing reports of homes destroyed in fires where there were no smoke detectors.

“In Oregon, there's a lot of fires that can spread to homes. I think they thought it was really important to keep their homes safe,” Choi explained.

The Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation Department put out flyers about Choi's event to spread the word and the Red Cross provided the smoke alarms and everything else they needed for installation.

Choi and the volunteers also gave residents safety sheets with fire escape plans to ensure their overall safety.

“When I participated in the smoke alarm installation myself, I gained a lot of insight and different life perspectives,” Choi said. “I think they were really glad and happy for this resource.”

The American Red Cross offers resources for updating smoke alarms and volunteer opportunities for smoke alarm installation events.

According to national data, almost three of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms.