In early December, Ted Tate’s attic furnace caught fire while he and his family soundly slept. Thankfully, Mr. Tate had received smoke & carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher through the Fire Safe Tribal Citizens Program one year prior.
“It was about 12:30 in the morning, and I smelled something, but I didn’t know what it was, and then, the smoke alarms went off. I seen the smoke coming out of the vents and went up in the attic, and the furnace was on fire.
I ran everybody out, and my wife brought the fire extinguisher to me to put the fire out. And it was minimal damage. I was able to catch it fast enough that it didn’t catch the house on fire.
I’ve always had smoke detectors, and I put them where it’s supposed to be. But whenever I seen the [Fire Safe] program, I added smoke detectors and replaced my older ones. And the one that caught it, I hadn’t had any in those extra spots.
Signing up for Fire Safe is definitely something that I recommend everybody do because it can be the difference between having a home and not having a home. It’s no cost to you, and you can save your home and your family by just filling out an application.”
Fire Safe Tribal Citizens assistance is available to all Shawnee citizens 18 years or older. The amount of assistance awarded varies based on the project and the size of the home. Support is provided through the tribe’s American Rescue Plan Act BIA Tribal Housing Improvement Funding.
Visit shawnee-nsn.gov/housing.
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