Sophie Egrich always makes sure she had her smoke detector serviced every year and had the batteries changed. That practice is what singlehandedly saved Sophie and her daughter's life.
Two months after the Whitemarsh Township fire department replaced her old detector with a new one, a fire erupted in a tiny office in the home.
: "I was asleep on the sofa in the living room and the alarm woke me up," Sophie said.
Officials say the accidental fire caused by careless smoking, in the overnight hours, could've resulted in a very different outcome.
"It was very minor damage, considering the other side of the coin where it could have been a double fatality," Whitemarsh Township Fire Marshal Scotty Lynch said.
This living example is what Fire Marshall Scott Lynch is hoping will inspire people to take advantage of the 6abc Operation Save a Life program.
For 20 years, 6abc and Kidde has provided at least a million detectors to several communities in our region.
Lynch says all it takes is a simple call.
"Ccontact your fire department and allow us to come out and put smoke detectors in your home; it's going to save your life if you have a fire," Lynch said.
In Whitemarsh Township, at least 50 homes have received a brand new detector.
Other homeowners have called in to get the batteries changed, like Sophie.
And for that, she gets to see her 89th birthday, which is right around the corner.
"I am very grateful. Nobody should be without smoke detectors," Sophie said.
It's a simple life saving tool, and it won't cost you a penny.
If you'd like to find out more about the Operation Save a Life program, click here.
