Gwinnett installing smoke detectors

Gwinnett County fire professionals are going on a smoke detector blitz this week, as part of a push to make residents more aware of fire safety.

More than 3,100 smoke detectors have been installed in county homes since last October, said Stephen Hrustich, assistant chief with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. Several hundred more are expected to be installed this week.

Hrustich said the department has had two documented saves — that is, smoke detectors that his group installed went off, allowing residents to escape their homes during fires.

Even those with smoke detectors should check them. The detectors tend to break down after a decade, public information officer Tommy Rutledge said, and older ones often malfunction.

October is fire prevention month in the county.