By Jennifer Shea
The Sarasota Herald Tribune
SARASOTA, Fla. — A partnership between the National Fire Protection Association and a chain of pizzerias is one component of a national movement to draw attention to October as fire safety month.
And, gastronomic delight and education are going hand in hand. Local Domino’s Pizza restaurant owner Rodger Cline partnered with the Sarasota County Fire Department to delivery free pizzas to customers who allowed the fire department to inspect and replace the batteries in their smoke detectors.
“We visited one home, and they did not even have a smoke detector,” said Gina Pellegrino, Cline’s general manager. “So, the Fire Department installed one for them.”
Customers who called to place a pizza order in October were randomly selected and asked if they would consider allowing the firefighters to check their smoke alarms.
“Domino’s does it all around the country,” Cline said. “We are national, but not a big corporation. We are members of the community and we care about our customers in Sarasota.”
Pizzas were delivered, free of charge, to the customers, by the Fire Department and delivery staff.
Most impressive were the children’s reactions to the big red fire trucks and customers’ enthusiasm for the program, Pellegrino said.
“We worked with the volunteer fire department and the EMTs,” Pellegrino said. “I would say that it was very successful and we hope to partner with them next April when it is time to change the smoke alarm batteries again.”
Cline also sponsored an open house at the fire station and donated more than 80 pizzas.
“Fire safety is vitally important,” he said. “Functioning smoke alarms save lives. I have a two-story house and my kids sleep upstairs.”
Emphasizing his partnerships with local schools and organizations, Cline said all of his employees live in Sarasota.
His daughters, Brianna and Brooklyn, attend Gulf Gate Elementary School. Son Max attends Riverview High School and son Tyler attends Sarasota Middle School.
He also partners with the Suncoast Communities Blood Bank and Keep Sarasota Beautiful for fundraising and community awareness events.
Cline said he recently had a situation with overflowing water that set off his smoke alarm. He disconnected the alarm and made the repair a priority.
While educating his customers, Cline also pointed out that many older homes are in need of new smoke alarms.
“Replacing the batteries and replacing the smoke detector after 10 years is vital to the safety of your family,” he said. “In this economy, we’re not making huge profits, but I support fire prevention and safety in this community, 100 percent.”
Copyright 2010 Sarasota Herald-Tribune Co.
All Rights Reserved