Behind the Badge
It was a Big Give kind of morning on May 11 for Anaheim Fire & Rescue personnel and city staff.
As part of Anaheim’s civic participation and volunteer day, the group of about a dozen visited La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates, a southwest Anaheim mobile home park at 200 N. Grand Ave., to give out and install free smoke detectors. The small life-saving devices had 10-year, “tamper-proof” batteries inside them, designed to alert residents of potentially dangerous smoke and flames and not be removed.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Fire Marshall Allen Hogue demonstrates proper smoke alarm installation techniques to a group of city employees as they prepare to install free smoke alarms at a mobile home park as part of The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
The smoke detectors were given to the city through a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant from about three years ago. Mobile home park residents have received many of the devices, partially because the buildings can burn quickly if caught on fire.
Fire Marshal Allen Hogue said residents enjoy receiving the smoke detectors and the department likes giving them because they are essential for early fire detection.
“Everybody is very happy, the fact that we come out,” Hogue said. “It’s our way of getting inside homes to talk about things like fire and cooking safety.”
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Firefighters Mike Hoover, left, and Cody Strickland install a smoke alarm, free for the residents of La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates, during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Indeed, the reaction to free smoke detectors was one of universal excitement at La Belle Fontaine.
“Merry Christmas for everybody!” said James Krishna, a 10-year resident of the mobile home park, before inviting fire cadet Vanessa Singh into his home, where she and others helped the family install the smoke detectors.
Krishna loved that they were free.
“We want to save a dollar every way we can,” he said.
Russell Powell, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, installs a smoke alarm in a home at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Sandie Linehan and Linda Thomas, longtime Anaheim residents and neighbors at La Belle Fontaine, were ecstatic to see the Anaheim firefighters and staff out helping the community.
“This is really cool, a cool thing!” Linehan said. Thomas later posed for a picture with the firefighters.
Maria Hernandez and her husband, Rodolfo, loved the visit as well. They call their three-bedroom mobile home “la casita,” Spanish for “little house.”
La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates resident James Krishna fills out paperwork for Anaheim Fire & Rescue Cadet Vanessa Singh as a team installs smoke alarms, at no charge, in his home during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Russell Dowell of Anaheim Public Utilities was there to protect the Hernandez casita by installing the smoke detectors. He said he likes giving back to Anaheim, where he also lives.
“To me, it’s just something good to do,” Dowell said.
In all, the Anaheim crews installed 92 smoke detectors and gave out another nine on May 11, according to Lili Varela, Anaheim Fire & Rescue community services specialist.
Manny Gonzalez, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, installs a smoke alarm in a home in La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Russell Powell of the City of Anaheim public utilities installs a smoke alarm in a home at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Firefighters Cody Strickland, left, and Mike Hoover install a smoke alarm, free for residents of La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates, during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Captain Robert Aguilar, left, and Engineer/Paramedic Alex Mistuloff walk around La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Russell Powell, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, installs a smoke alarm in a home at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Firefighter/paramedic Mike Hoover of Anaheim Fire & Rescue works with fellow firefighters and city employees during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Manny Gonzalez, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, arrives at a home in La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates to install a smoke alarm.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue personnel and other Anaheim city employees pull wagons filled with smoke alarms at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Russell Powell, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, installs a smoke alarm in a home at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Fire Marshall Allen Hogue demonstrates proper smoke alarm installation techniques to a group of city employees as they prepare to install free smoke alarms at a mobile home park as part of The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue Firefighters Cody Strickland, left, and Mike Hoover install a smoke alarm, free for the residents of La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates, during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue personnel and other Anaheim city employees pull wagons filled with smoke alarms at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Eddie Ramirez, a City of Anaheim public utilities employee, installs smoke alarms at La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
Anaheim Fire & Rescue personnel and other Anaheim city employees pull wagons filled with smoke alarms as they make their way around La Belle Fontaine Mobile Estates installing the alarms at no cost to residents during The Big Give.
Photo by Jeff Antenore/Behind the Badge
