Site search
sponsored by
News
Sports
ENLARGE
Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Battalion Chief Roger Johnson works at the Sutherlin Fire Department to prepares smoke detectors to be given away in the Tenmile area on Thursday.
When a community inspection event years ago revealed some 30 percent of Sutherlin residents did not have working smoke alarms in their homes, Roger Johnson and his fellow volunteer inspectors were astonished.
About 100 people had spent some four hours checking with about 5,000 people and found that many did not have what Johnson calls one of the simplest things people can do to keep their families safe.
“It's something that always stuck with me,” said Johnson, battalion chief with Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and an assistant chief with the Sutherlin Fire Department.
Johnson later collaborated with other volunteers to help ensure more people would not go without the important safety measure through the Senior Community Outreach Prevention and Education program. Volunteers with the program knock on doors and offer free smoke alarms to those at higher risk of dying in fires, including seniors and young children living in older, lower-income housing.
Within 25 years of firefighting work, Johnson has seen what can happen when a home lacks a smoke alarm.
“When you see people that are hurt or die in a fire, you always think to yourself, ‘Man, for 10 dollars for a smoke alarm here, it could have made a huge difference,' ” he said.
Johnson, who grew up in Sutherlin, said the key to SCOPE's success is the partnerships that have been developed over the years. The program, which operates under Douglas County RSVP, has grown to include some 90 volunteers with other agencies who help complete SCOPE's mission.
Several agencies that involve work with seniors or young children have volunteers who have been taught to inspect homes when they meet with their clients. They carry around smoke alarms to hand out when needed. The program has since grown to involve teachers at some elementary schools who hand out alarms to families who need them, during parent/teacher conferences.
Johnson views a recent public service award given to him from the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, after a fellow local firefighter nominated him, as a tribute to the program's success.
Still, Sam Likens, director of RSVP, said Johnson has brought “out of the box thinking” to SCOPE.
“He's been a huge enhancement for the program,” she said.
When Johnson has time off from his volunteer work with SCOPE and his two jobs, he enjoys outdoor activities with his wife of nearly 20 years, Susie, and their two daughters.
But when SCOPE is in action, Johnson may be spotted just about anywhere around Douglas County pounding the pavement, smoke alarms at the ready.
Not everyone wants the alarm pushers in their homes, but that's OK with Johnson.
“I'll hand them one through the metal bars on the door, I don't care,” Johnson said, laughing. “If they need one, I don't need to come in, I just try to make sure when I leave they have one.”
• You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@nrtoday.com.
About 100 people had spent some four hours checking with about 5,000 people and found that many did not have what Johnson calls one of the simplest things people can do to keep their families safe.
“It's something that always stuck with me,” said Johnson, battalion chief with Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and an assistant chief with the Sutherlin Fire Department.
Johnson later collaborated with other volunteers to help ensure more people would not go without the important safety measure through the Senior Community Outreach Prevention and Education program. Volunteers with the program knock on doors and offer free smoke alarms to those at higher risk of dying in fires, including seniors and young children living in older, lower-income housing.
Within 25 years of firefighting work, Johnson has seen what can happen when a home lacks a smoke alarm.
“When you see people that are hurt or die in a fire, you always think to yourself, ‘Man, for 10 dollars for a smoke alarm here, it could have made a huge difference,' ” he said.
Johnson, who grew up in Sutherlin, said the key to SCOPE's success is the partnerships that have been developed over the years. The program, which operates under Douglas County RSVP, has grown to include some 90 volunteers with other agencies who help complete SCOPE's mission.
Several agencies that involve work with seniors or young children have volunteers who have been taught to inspect homes when they meet with their clients. They carry around smoke alarms to hand out when needed. The program has since grown to involve teachers at some elementary schools who hand out alarms to families who need them, during parent/teacher conferences.
Johnson views a recent public service award given to him from the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association, after a fellow local firefighter nominated him, as a tribute to the program's success.
Still, Sam Likens, director of RSVP, said Johnson has brought “out of the box thinking” to SCOPE.
“He's been a huge enhancement for the program,” she said.
When Johnson has time off from his volunteer work with SCOPE and his two jobs, he enjoys outdoor activities with his wife of nearly 20 years, Susie, and their two daughters.
But when SCOPE is in action, Johnson may be spotted just about anywhere around Douglas County pounding the pavement, smoke alarms at the ready.
Not everyone wants the alarm pushers in their homes, but that's OK with Johnson.
“I'll hand them one through the metal bars on the door, I don't care,” Johnson said, laughing. “If they need one, I don't need to come in, I just try to make sure when I leave they have one.”
• You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@nrtoday.com.
