FEMA grant provides Mississippi more smoke alarms

• Mississippi awarded $500,000 FEMA grant for free smoke alarms.
• Program to provide 40,000 10-year alarms and fire safety education.
• Officials report 27 of 58 fire deaths in 2025 occurred with no working alarms.

JACKSON, Miss. — The Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to continue its statewide free smoke alarm installation program.

The grant will fund approximately 40,000 long-life, 10-year lithium battery smoke alarms to be installed in homes across Mississippi at no cost to residents, officials said.

“Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half,” said State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney.

The need for working alarms is critical, according to state data. So far in 2025, 58 fire deaths have been reported statewide. In at least 27 of those cases, no working smoke alarms were found. In 2024, 35 of the 73 fire deaths occurred in homes without functioning alarms.

The initiative, titled “Smoke Alarm Installations: Door-to-Door with Home Safety Inspection,” will be carried out by local firefighters and volunteers. During the installation visits, they will also provide in-home fire prevention education, share escape-planning tips, and distribute 30,000 educational brochures.

“Every home should have a working smoke alarm. This grant helps us continue saving lives by reaching thousands of Mississippians who might otherwise go without this basic protection,” said Reed Abraham, State Fire Coordinator.

Chaney urged residents to create a fire escape plan and ensure everyone in the home knows where to meet outside in case of a fire.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office also reminded residents to check their smoke alarms as clocks are set back for Standard Time on Sunday.

Residents can contact their local fire department or county fire coordinator to request installation through the Free Smoke Alarm Installation Program.

Fire officials offer the following safety tips:

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Replace all smoke alarms every 10 years.
• Install alarms in every sleeping area, hallway, and on every level of the home.
• Once outside during a fire, call 911 and never re-enter the home.