Safety reminder - VPSD will change batteries in smoke detectors for free!!!
 

Just in case some new residents don't know about the program, The Villages Public Safety Department offers smoke detector assistance to residents of The Villages. They will come to your house and they will change the batteries in their smoke detectors.

There is no charge for this service. But you have to provide brand new nine-volt batteries or detectors required before calling for assistance.

Appointments are for same-day service and are on a first come first serve basis.
The Villages Public Safety Department employees will arrive at your home in uniform, with a visible name badge. They will also have a ladder with them.

As we get older, we should avoid ladders as much as possible!

Public Safety Smoke Detector Program

Thanks for sharing this

Since 2010 we have had the pleasure of VPSD changing batteries in our 10’ ceilings. Always polite, respectful, with the reminder that the ladders may leave a smudge, but never did on any of the walls in our 3 homes. Always had homemade treats if they chose to enjoy, as a thank you

Maybe with all the complaining about our fire/EMT increases, this might be a way for the department to save some money, or perhaps a nominal charge to offset the cost of this service.

I like the "for free" part...who do you think is actually paying for these services...I really don't think they are asking for volunteers from the fire department to go out and do this on their own time!

You are paying for the service. There are no volunteers. Personally, I think they should eliminate the free service. If you can't get on a ladder, hire a handyman like you would for anything else.

Note that the link recommends replacing smoke detectors batteries every year. This advice is outdated and a waste of money. AlkaIine batteries will last about 5 years and lithium batteries will last up to 10 years. The battery is only used as a backup in the event your house power fails. The smoke detector is designed to beep when the battery level is low and it needs to be replaced. So, it is not necessary to replace your smoke alarm batteries every year. It does not improve safety, but it does waste taxpayer money.

Which of you have looked into the budget to see how much this service costs? I have and from what I can find there are $0 budgeted for this.

Are the firefighters working for free when they are in your home replacing batteries? Of course not, but that doesn't mean the service costs you any additional dollars.

Do you believe fires are not being extinguished or EMS service are not being provided while they are replacing batteries?
Do you believe maintenance or training is being neglected while they are replacing batteries?
Do you believe manning would be reduced if this service was not provided?

Of course not. This service is provided on a time-available basis by the staff that is regularly on duty. There is no extra cost to the department for providing this service. Rather than wasting taxpayer dollars or costing the department money, this is a way to personally get some return on the taxes you have already paid.

We should be grateful for the Department for providing this service, not criticizing them for providing this benefit to the community.

:BigApplause::BigApplause::BigApplause:

The only cost as far as I can see is some amount of gas to go to peoples houses. :BigApplause:

The same is true in almost all locales in the country. They get especially busy during Fire Prevention week (early Oct) and when the time changes occur. Be nice and avoid those times.

They like cookies, pizza and grocery store gift cards ������

I just read some of the replies. Many have a misconception of what a FD does.

They don’t sit around waiting for calls. They train daily, keep apparatus ready, perform community service, visit schools and social groups, and a host of other services like inspections.

The cost is part of the overall budget, usually in a line item like education or community service - they’re on duty and fit in detector issues between other obligations.

Better they change batteries than respond to a house fire since the occupants didn’t have working detectors, which happens. Often.

They don’t just change batteries, will also install new detectors, which expire at 10 years. I’m sure many homes in TV have expired detectors. Get a combo smoke & CO2.

Hopefully there is a program in place to provide the equipment to those in need and can’t afford to purchase. In TV that would be a small %, in nearby localities many more.


Be thankful this service is available.

Recently retired after 30 yr with an FD in another state. Learn about the complete host of services provided, then say thank you.

keep using those old outdated smoke detectors with new batteries... we replaced all the detectors and installed a Nest smoke & carbon monoxide Detector.. Didn't use the " Free"
Service...

I’m sure it fits under their Fire Prevention Program. But it truly fits under injury prevention also. The Fire Department gets to choose when and which resources to designate to changing out batteries. Those same resources may or may not be immediately available when someone falls off that ladder when they try to change the batteries themselves.
It’s a great program and probably saves us all something in the long run.

Bill, thank you for saying this!

I encourage you to educate yourself on this issue and rethink your position on eliminating a profoundly successful safety program. Better to make sure detectors working properly than having more fire & EMS calls for service because they are not. You’re not seeing the big picture.

And the houses are close together in the Villages. If your neighbor’s house catches fire because they didn’t change the batteries in their smoke detector, it might spread to your house.

Agree. We gave the fella that changed ours a couple of years ago. Would have gladly paid $20 or so for the service. Of course that would have unfortunately added another level of controls for the service. I suppose some method of billing could be created

I would like to add a few pieces of information; a friend of mine is one of the people who will do the replacement.
The 9 V batteries should be unopened.
Thank you for mentioning it has to be the day you call but you need to call between 8:00 and 8:30 AM. The appointment is all day like the cable guy, but they will be there usually in the morning.
I agree it should be done once a year even if that's "overkill". We were told up north to do this when you change the clocks (since our house in New York was not hardwired we did it twice a year). But here I would urge you not to do it at that time. Because it's habit for us they are in inundated with requests then. Pick a day meaningful to you (like your child's birthday) and call around that day.
Look thoroughly for all of the smoke detectors. In my first house I thought they were six but they were seven so he left the easily reachable one for me to change later (although he would've come back). Interestingly enough, my second house has the identical floorplan, but only has six.
One last thing. If you are in the first year of your house, I would not wait more than a few months after closing before you call and change the batteries. New homes are supplied with bulk batteries that rarely last the full year.

I asked the Public Safety Department for their data on how many houses they provide the service for per year and the annual cost. They have not responded. But, anyone who thinks that the service costs nothing is just wrong.

That explains why my detector started chirping (low battery) within the first year!

My new house batteries lasted 4 years. I don't know what is meant by "bulk batteries", but every First Alert detector comes with a new battery preinstalled in the detector. You pull out a plastic tab to activate the battery. And, the device is designed to chirp when the battery level is low, so you know when to replace it.

Wow…. Just wow!

🤐

I would disagree on new build batteries. The day detectors were installed all but 3 chirped. Batteries changed, because builder found them annoying. During our walkthrough, every detector was chirping. Batteries changed while we were at walkthrough.

Week later 1/2 chirping, we changed all of them with new batteries. Chirping stopped.

:BigApplause: Took the words right out of my mouth! :thumbup:

When I was in grade school, the fire chief came to our school and gave us a talk on fire safety.

I still remember some of them. Don’t play with matches. Stop, drop, and roll!

To my knowledge, this was a free service. I don’t think the school paid him for the talk!

There are two full time employees whose job it is to replace batteries. Not sure why you can’t find it in the budget but there is money for this service in there.

I don't doubt what you said, but I don't think the builder buys detectors without batteries. The detectors come with a battery and there is a date of manufacture on the detector. Sometimes new houses sit for awhile before they are sold.

We had this house built, at property everyday, to basically take pics, and pickup trash that would end up buried in our lawn.
Builder can buy detectors any way they choose. When we built our homes north, we contracted most of the work. I ordered detectors without batteries.

Worker arrived at this house while we were there with packing box of detectors that were in sealed factory box and units without any box at all, just a bunch of detectors.

Given the amount of factory boxes on the floors, next day we guessed ours were out of the box except for one.

I don’t think it saves fire or EMS (unless they are for falls off ladders) calls, but it does make it more likely people get out of the house before the fire engulfs it. I think that may save the fire fighters from having to rescue as many people. This reduces the risk for them.

So, the benefit is fewer falls off ladders and increased safety for the firefighters. Both are good for the fire department and are certainty worth any minor cost to the department.

The thought behind this service is to keep us safe from a fall - one from which we may not survive.

Also, don't forget that Smoke Detectors have an expiration date. Google Smoke Detector Lifespan.

Yep, and I am sure no one would complain if the guy changing the batteries had to leave suddenly to go fight a fire.
Ok, someone probably will, but that type of person complains about free beer, too.

The most common smoke alarm in The Villages is the Model 9120B, which were in my new house. According to First Alert, they never sell these smoke alarms without a 9-volt battery pre-installed in them, even as a volume sale to contractors.

Better yet, buy the smoke detectors that you don't need to replace the battery for 10 years. Comes out about the same cost of replacing batteries every year, but you don't have to change batteries every year. Just a suggestion.

Good tip! We did this in our last house for the smoke detectors that were on the higher ceilings (12 foot and higher). I left the original ones in the rooms with the 8 foot ceilings.

I thought the smoke detectors were hardwired. Does this mean they also have backup batteries that need to be changed? Thanks for the help.

Yes, they are hardwired but if you have a power outage the batteries in the smoke detector will still allow it to function.

That is what we do now

Give them a NICE donation!