On Thursday, May 11 the Clark County Fire Department again joined AARP Nevada in an annual community outreach project promoting fire safety.  The collaboration occurred as part of AARP’s annual Day of Service, begun as a response to the tragedy our nation experienced on September 11, 2001 .  This year, AARP engaged more than 31,000 volunteers and staff across the country in a variety of projects designed to improve the quality of life for older adults. 

The partnership with Clark County Fire Department was a model for successful community outreach.  Firefighters, AARP staff and volunteers spent a half-day at La Villa Vegas Mobile Home Park, a residential community in the heart of Las Vegas .  The residences at the park were older trailer homes with older people occupying them.  Many were Section 8 or on some type of public assistance.  Every trailer we visited needed help with basic fire safety precautions.  Nearly all had inoperable smoke detectors that needed new batteries.  Some didn’t even have smoke detectors in their homes.  Those people were living in tinder boxes without that most basic of fire protections.  Seniors are more vulnerable to the dangers of fire than all age groups except the very young, and mobile homes are particularly prone to rapid fire spread. The AARP “Fire Sense” brochures and conversations about the importance of checking smoke detector batteries extended our reach with this group even further.    

“Having fire fighters present, demonstrating their commitment and interest in proactively protecting our Clark County seniors, made a big difference in the lives of the residents at La Villa Vegas Mobile Home Park” said Deborah Moore, Associate State Director Communications, AARP Nevada .