MOULTRIE — It’s been proved over and over: Smoke detectors save lives. And an aggressive project by the Moultrie Fire Department is testament to that fact.

Moultrie Fire Department Fire Marshall Lavon Cooper said the department installed 529 smoke detectors in Moultrie houses in 2007 and canvassed 781 homes. They targeted northwest Moultrie with the smoke detector program this year — a program which has been in place since 2002.

Thanks to the fire department-installed smoke detectors, Cooper said there were four confirmed smoke detector saves. Because of the smoke detector, a home occupants were made aware of fires and escaped on Feb. 23, Aug. 26, Oct. 3 and Nov. 21. Since the installation program began in 2002, there have been at leasat 15 confirmed smoke detector saves.

A smoke detector is an easy way for anyone to help protect their life in their home, Cooper said. With a smoke detector, an occupant doubles their chances of surviving a house fire.

“A smoke detector is the simplest and most inexpensive life-saving measure we can install in our homes,” Cooper said.

In order to ensure a smoke detector is working properly, Cooper said to test it once a month, and do not remove the batteries from the detector. The fire department will come and check the detector if it is not working properly. The smoke detector program is made possible through a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and is administered through the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Cooper said the department was also busy teaching residents fire safety education. The department reached 6,256 people in 2007 with its fire education program, including visits to all 10 Colquitt County elementary schools, career fairs and most Neighborhood Watch meetings.