Counterfeit smoke detectors will be replaced by new, working ones Saturday morning, thanks to a donation. Wells Fargo Insurance Services and Fireman's Fund Insurance Company will donate $12,000 to the cause.
This comes after a CBS Atlanta investigation uncovered the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department unknowingly handed out more than 18,500 fake smoke detectors. They've since been recalled.
The smoke detectors will be handed out to people living at the Colony South Mobile Home Park in southeast Atlanta.
Kaytrin Rodriguez said firefighters handed out smoke detectors to residents a few years ago after one of the homes went up in flames.
"I thought I would have been safe with a good alarm and now it's not good. What if something happened, so it could have ended really badly," said Rodriguez.
The counterfeit smoke detectors handed out didn't meet national safety standards to alert someone in case of a fire. The fake smoke detector has three sets of five-slotted vents on the front and a hologram UL label on the back.
"Everyone needs a smoke detector. What a horrible situation so to have a situation to make it right in some way shape or form, it's exactly what we were looking to do," said Brain Smith with Wells Fargo Insurance Services.
Every other weekend the fire department will replace the fake smoke detectors with good ones. They started two weeks ago and with the help of the donation, they'll do it again on Saturday.
Rodriguez said her neighbors can't afford smoke detectors, but it's an area that needs them.
"We have fire grills and you know the trailers are small and not really secure," said Rodriguez.
Wells Fargo Insurance Services employees will also help distribute the smoke detectors. They'll make an official check presentation Saturday morning and then they'll get to work.
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