FEMA, DHS grant for smoke detectors for hearing-impaired residents
By SSN Staff
Updated Wed October 3, 2012
HOUSTON - The Houston Fire Department was awarded a $168,000 grant to purchase and install 2,000 smoke detectors for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to a report in yourhoustonnews.com.
At the Center for Hearing and Speech, Mayor Annise Parker, the Houston Fire Department and the Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities announced the award, which was granted by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security.
The grant was one of the largest ever awarded by FEMA and DHS for the purchase of visual smoke detectors designed for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, according to the report.
“Conventional smoke detectors can't fully address the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing,” Terry Garrison, fire chief of the Houston Fire Department, stated. “Due to this and to the fact that there are more than 10 million individuals who are deaf in the U.S., we applied for a special grant to address this very important need.”
The Houston Fire Department is required to match the grant with $33,600 of contributions from local companies and organizations.
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