Pāpāmoa residents are racing to get smoke alarms installed through a Western Bay of Plenty Neighbourhood Support and Fire and Emergency campaign.

Neighbourhood Support launched a spring Givealittle campaign on September 15 to get smoke alarms installed in more homes, working with FENZ and its own volunteers to do the installations.

And the first day after the campaign was launched to Neighbourhood Support members through their Pāpāmoa newsletter, more than 100 people had already signed up.

Manager Bruce Banks says the response was overwhelming.

'We're really pleased so many want to install smoke alarms because we know that fire moves very fast. You only have three minutes to escape if your house catches fire, and you are four times more likely to survive a house fire if you have working smoke alarms.

'Clearly people are really keen to protect themselves and their homes. We're hoping to extend this project throughout the Tauranga area, but it will depend on the funding we can raise.

'It's an opportunity to talk to people about fire safety, and preparing an escape plan too.”

FENZ spokesman Jarron McInnes says it was important that people had an escape plan in a fire.

'You can make a three-step escape plan for you and your whānau at escapemyhouse.co.nz. It could save your life.”

Neighbourhood Support is working with online fundraising training programme Generosity Generator on the two-week Givealittle campaign that launches this month to raise money to extend the project further.

It has trained a number of volunteer installers who will take care of the installations along with Fire and Emergency volunteers.

All the volunteers have had a police check to be able to enter people's homes and install the smoke alarms, Bruce says.

'The more money we can raise through the Givealittle campaign, the more alarms we can install throughout the city and the more lives and property we can save.”

For more information, or to make a donation, visit the Givealittle page, https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/help-keep-our-families-fire-safe.