Locals help install smoke detectors, build playground

Saturday was a lucky day for Joe Brooks.

The Hattiesburg Fire Department installed two new smoke detectors in the home Brooks shares with his disabled brother, Charles Brooks.

"I had one but it went out a while ago, and I never got around to replacing it," admitted Brooks, who has lived in the house on East Eighth Street since 1981.

Brooks along with several other east Hattiesburg residents were the beneficiaries of the American Red Cross, Hattiesburg Fire Department and United Way of Southeast Mississippi's Make A Difference Day project.

Spearheaded by the Red Cross, the project's goal was to install about 100 smoke detectors in homes or replace batteries in residences already equipped with the devices. The undertaking was among the many Make A Difference Day projects that Pine Belt groups and residents took on during the nationwide day of giving back.

At the end of the day, volunteers had visited approximately 150 homes and firefighters installed more than 50 smoke detectors, Red Cross officials reported.

Brooks said receiving the new smoke detectors was a godsend.

"With winter coming on, it really gives me peace of mind to know that we have the smoke detectors," he said. "I am so thankful for this."

Angie Graheja, disaster program manager with the American Red Cross, said installing the smoke detectors came out of a nationwide survey that revealed Hattiesburg was among the top 10 ZIP codes in the state with a high occurrence of death and injuries due to house fires.

"The American Red Cross' goal is to reduce fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent over a five-year period," Graheja said of the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign that kicked off this October.

Red Cross volunteers along with 12 Hattiesburg firefighters canvassed residences in east Hattiesburg to determine who needed smoke detectors. Homes with working detectors were given information on fire safety.

The fire department already had been installing 30 to 40 smoke detectors in homes each year, HFD Chief Paul Presley said.

"But when we were approached by the Red Cross about three weeks ago, we thought this would be a great way to expand that program. Our smoke detectors had come from the state fire marshal," he said, adding October is Fire Prevention Month.

He said east Hattiesburg was selected because of the number of elderly and disabled residents who lived in the area that was devastated by the Feb. 10, 2013, tornado.

"We hope to make this an annual campaign," he added.

Tracie Fowler, executive director of the United Way of Southeast Mississippi, said funds allocated to the Red Cross are used for people affected by house fires in Forrest, Lamar and Perry counties so it made sense to partner with the organization on the Home Fire Preparedness Campaign.

"Hattiesburg being in the top 10 ZIP codes with a high incidence of injury and deaths associated with house fires is unacceptable," she said. "As a community, we need to come together for the residents and change this."

Jerome Kirk, who lives on Montague Drive, said installing the smoke detectors is a great idea.

"About three months ago, we had neighbors who lost their house to fire — they didn't have a single smoke detector in the house," said Kirk, who has smoke detectors in the kitchen and hallway of his home. "No one was hurt, but a smoke detector may have helped save the house."

Across town in Lamar County, volunteers with the Hattiesburg American and Lamar County Park Partners also were up early Saturday helping to erect J's Place — an all-inclusive playground — near Oak Grove Optimist Park.

Along with about 15 employee-volunteers, the American also donated $5,000 toward the cost of the more than $100,000 playground that was named in honor of Hattiesburg resident Jason Weathers, 33, who died of acute myeloid leukemia in July 2008.

"This donation and our employees volunteering also give the Lamar County Park Partners an opportunity to apply for a $10,000 grant from the Gannett Foundation," said Kathy Bullock, the newspaper's Make A Difference Day coordinator.

Bullock added the project was a two-fold benefit — for the area and newspaper.

"This will be good for the kids who live in the area. It gives them their own place to get out and spend time outside being active," she said. "It also gives Hattiesburg American employees a chance to fellowship with each other outside of the workplace while helping others."

Volunteers Jason Munz and Caroline Kennedy said they had never erected playground equipment but enjoyed being able to give back.

"The athletic fields are already out here, but this playground will attract more residents out here than just for ball games," said Munz, a sportswriter. "It's also convenient for the neighborhood kids who live nearby."

Kennedy, an advertising account assistant, said it was her first time volunteering on Make A Difference Day but it felt really good to help.

"This park will be well used, especially with it being so close to the ball parks. It will give the younger kids who may have siblings playing ball something to do if they get tired of watching the game," she said. "And with the playground being handicapped accessible, I'm sure it is going to be a very popular with all of the kids."

Ashley Norton, Lamar County Park Partners spokeswoman, said funding for the project was kick-started by a $15,000 KaBoom grant — which specified the playground must be constructed using volunteer labor. Private and corporate donations also helped fund the project.

Norton said about 20 to 25 volunteers were scheduled to work on the build Saturday. Actual construction started Friday with the project scheduled for completion later this week.

The playground was manufactured by Landscape Structures and distributed by Playscapes of Mississippi and Alabama.

"This playground offers something for every kid to do — it is inclusive for kids of all abilities," said Max Maxwell with Playscapes, who added that 65 percent of all playgrounds are community-built, constructed by churches, schools, parent-teacher associations or other local groups.

He said over the past six years, Playscapes has built about 100 playgrounds — 70 in Mississippi and 30 in Alabama.

At a glance

• J's Place is an all-inclusive playground for toddlers to children age 12. An Oodle Swing, assisted ZipKrooz (zipline) and OmniSpin are among the components that are handicapped-accessible.

It is situated on a 100-foot-by-100 foot plot behind Oak Grove Optimist Park on Hegwood Road.