RESPONSE Behind the Scenes: Measures for a safer home
Sometimes, the most important safety measures are not complex. They simply need to reach the people who need them most.
With age, everyday life changes – movements become slower, reactions take more time, and sometimes even a seemingly small risk goes unnoticed. This makes situations such as fires more difficult and more dangerous.
This is why, within the strategic project “RESPONSE”, funded with over €7.2 million under the Interreg VI-A IPA Bulgaria–Serbia Programme 2021–2027, a campaign was launched to install smoke detectors in the homes of elderly people.
The initiative started in the small municipality of Brusartsi, Montana region, where the first 100 devices have already been installed in homes where people often live alone.
It has since expanded to other locations – 50 detectors have been installed in Varshets (Montana region), 30 in Dolna Banya (Sofia region), 30 in Kostenets (Sofia region), 110 in Kostinbrod (Sofia District), 100 in Ruzhintsi (Vidin region), and 30 in Tran (Pernik region).
A total of 600 smoke detectors are planned to be installed in the Bulgarian part of the cross-border region, with 450 already delivered to different locations.
Installation is carried out by volunteers. They do not simply place the devices – they make sure each one is working and ready to provide an early warning. During the visits, they also take time for short conversations – how to react in case of fire, what risks exist in the home, and how they can be avoided. These few minutes often prove to be just as important as the device itself.
Behind these numbers, there is something more.
Peace of mind.
For many people, this is not just a piece of equipment, but the feeling that there is something in their home that can warn them in time.
The campaign continues and will expand to more regions, reaching more people who need this kind of support.
The RESPONSE project shows that such measures do not have to be complex. Sometimes a small device is enough to make a home safer.
The work under the project continues where it matters most – on the ground and in people’s homes.