Sixty-six year old Audrey Rauls said when she heard theBrookhaven Fire Department could come put in a smoke detector forher, she wasn’t stopping until she had one in her house.

“I’ve been worrying the chief all the time since I heard that,”she said.

On Thursday she got her wish, as Brookhaven Fire Chief TonyWeeks, Shift Capt. Billy Beeson, and three firefighters fromStation Two came by her home on J.W. Morgan Way and equipped itwith two smoke detectors, free of charge.

Rauls said she’s lived in her home since 1964 and has never hadany kind of a smoke detector, so this was a big day for her.

“I needed them, I didn’t have any at all,” she said.

Rauls is the first recipient of a visit from firefighters toinstall the smoke alarms, but she certainly won’t be the last, firedepartment officials said.

Weeks said the detectors are available free of charge through agrant from the State Fire Marshal’s office to help elderly,disabled and low-income families put the fire protection devices intheir homes.

“This is for people like Ms. Audrey that need help, because shecouldn’t have put these up by herself,” he said.

It’s an important move for any family to make, Weeks said,because many victims of house fires die before the flames even getto them.

“At night if you’re asleep and there’s a fire and there’snothing there to warn you, the gases from the fire and the smokewill smother you,” he said. “Most fire victims die from the smokerather than from the flames.”

As such, Weeks said, the smoke detector can be the difference inlife and death in a home fire situation.

“Having a smoke alarm increases your chances tremendously ofsurviving a house fire any time of the day,” he said.

Citizens who are interested in having a smoke alarm installed intheir homes can call Brookhaven Fire Department’s Central Stationat 601-833-3008 before Dec. 31, Weeks said, and their name will beadded to a list. Firefighters will set up a time to do theinstallation.

While there is nothing to bind homeowners into having a smokedetector, Weeks said, it just makes sense to take advantage of theopportunity to get one.

“There is no law that mandates that you have one,” Weeks said.”It’s sort of a homeowner responsibility deal.”

Weeks said fire department officials are glad to do the workbecause every smoke detector could end up saving a life.

“This is one of those projects that really will do some good,”he said. “It’s money well-spent, and if you can get in on it,that’s good.”

And Rauls agrees.

“It means a whole lot to me that they came. I’m on a fixedincome and it means a lot that I don’t have to buy them,” Raulssaid.