Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Brigade and Harcourts Arrowtown have joined forces to distribute 500 smoke alarms to elderly, disabled and special needs residents in the village.
The new initiative will be part of an open day, on October 4, at the fire station, where the importance of life-saving smoke alarms will be promoted.
A car boot sale will be held, with proceeds paying for alarm batteries for future replacement and the brigade will launch a recruitment drive, calling specifically for day-time volunteers.
The brigade, St John Wakatipu and Queenstown police will operate stalls to raise awareness of their activities.
The Arrowtown Scout Group will provide a sausage sizzle.
"Life tubes", plastic medication containers that attach to a refrigerator door and can be accessed by someone assisting in an emergency, will be available.
The community fete is being organised by qualified Arrowtown firefighters Adin May, Terry Youngman and Jennifer Cavanagh, who is also the Harcourts administrator.
Harcourts bought the Chubb alarms from NZ Safety, in Invercargill, and firefighters will install alarms in qualifying residences.
"There's a minimum of three smoke alarms per home and that's what we're putting in," Mrs Cavanagh said.
Mr May said the aim of the day was to tie in the importance of installing smoke alarms and checking batteries with the switch to daylight saving time the Sunday before.
The day would open the doors of the fire station to the community and answer questions about joining or assisting the brigade, he said.
"There's a lot of old houses, old cribs in Arrowtown made in not fire-resistant material. If one of those places does come alight, which has happened, they go up in flames very quickly."
A colouring competition for Arrowtown school and pre-school children will be judged on the day by representatives of Harcourts and the brigade.
> The Arrowtown Fire Station open day, Sunday, October 4, noon to 3pm. Spot prize draw at 2pm.
