Rockdale County firefighters will be out in force Thursday in the neighborhood near the fatal house the fire killed four children and providing smoke detectors to households and  checking for working smoke detectors.

Starting around 5 p.m., firefighters will be asking residents if they have smoke detectors, passing out smoke detectors to household that request it, and installing smoke detectors.

The neighborhoods off Irwin Bridge Road have been the location of six deaths in two house fires over the last six months. In September 2012, a 78-year-old woman and 68-year-old man were killed in a house fire on Mountain View Circle, just a few blocks away from the Jan. 9 fire on Pinedale Circle that killed four young children in the Glass family.

Investigators found there were no working smoke detectors near the Glass family bedrooms and one smoke detector downstairs without a battery.

Smoke detector education and assistance is part of the Rockdale County Fire and Rescue's outreach and prevention programs. Around 75 smoke detectors were installed in 2012.

Fire Safety Commissioner Hudgens' office presented one hundred 9-Volt batteries to Rockdale County Chairman and CEO Richard A. Oden in a brief ceremony at the fire department’s headquarters as part of the Operation Safe Home program. The program provides free smoke alarms and 9-Volt batteries to Georgians who otherwise would not be able to purchase them. The smoke alarms are purchased with funds raised in the private sector and the 9-Volt batteries were donated to the Insurance Department by Energizer for distribution across the state. Through Operation Safe Home, over 165,000 free smoke alarms have been donated to needy citizens.

RCFR goes out to area schools and teaches the Learn Not to Burn program at elementary schools. The 8-week course teaches children about things such as what is hot and cold, how to crawl low in smoke, how to stop, drop and roll, smoke detectors, home escape plans, lighters, and matches. After each class, RCFR sends literature home to their parents explaining what was taught and things they can do at home as well. Throughout 2012, RCFR taught more than 100 fire safety classes.

For senior citizens, RCFR teaches all of the above specifically to this group at the County’s Senior Service Center and local nursing homes. Also, RCFR installs a large number of detectors for senior citizens.

Throughout the year, fire engines are taken out to businesses, home owner's association meetings, festivals, and literature is passed out about fire safety. In 2012, RCFR attended over 40 of these events.

For more information, or to request a smoke detector or assistance with a smoke detector, contact the RCFR at (770) 278-8401.