Bringing extra safety measures to over 200 homes in Ames

This March, students in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering came together with the Ames Fire Department with one goal: bettering the City of Ames.

One day in early October, an idea to make a positive impact on people’s lives turned into reality for the Iowa State University American Society of Safety Professionals Chapter (ASSP) (housed in ABE).

The student organization led a fundraising effort, raising over 200 dual smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, with a plan to distribute and install them.

“We all had one goal: bettering the city of Ames,” said Daniel Nelson, ASSP president. “And through that, we decided, what better way to better the city than protecting families?”

Through the organization’s outreach and drive, their project passed its initial goal and kept skyrocketing.

“We thought that if we could raise 100 detectors, then that would be just fantastic; that was our aim,” Nelson said “But with a lot of great fortune and our team coming together, we have now raised over 200 detectors.”

Partnering with the fire department, the organization has begun distributing the detectors to low-income families and over 200 households. The team of firefighters and students stopped at the homes and offered out the detectors and offered to install them, as well.

“My favorite part about this impact is knowing more families are going have the protection that they need,” Nelson said. “We are going to help these families by providing them with devices that have a ten-year battery life and dual purposes as smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, knowing that if something would happen, they would be able to protect themselves and their families and stay safe.”