Seniors offered free smoke detectors

Lowe's and the Kalispell Fire Department are teaming up to supply elderly residents with free smoke detectors.

The program begins this year for city residents 65 years or older who have no functioning smoke alarms.

Participating is as easy as a phone call to the fire department at 758-7760. A firefighter and volunteers from Lowe's will go to homes to install the detectors and answer questions.

The program eventually may expand outside city limits, according to Luke Gallagher, human resources manager for Lowe's.

"We don't know if we'll have 20 people or 400 people," he said.

The United Way will help by distributing postcards to people who may qualify, he said.

"It's going to be a good program," Assistant Fire Chief Brent Christopherson said.

The Lowe's corporation leaves it up to individual stores whether or not to participate in the program, called Heroes, Gallagher said.

The program runs through Dec. 2 and is intended to be an annual event.