Bloomfield Township Fire Investigator Lt. Doug Brown was awarded the Fire Inspector of the Year Award by the Oakland County Fire Prevention Society on December 7, 2012. The Society took special note of his determination and drive in obtaining an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) of $64,150 and using the funds for the installation of 1,675 wireless smoke detectors in apartments, condominiums and adult foster care facilities in Bloomfield Township. 

In his role as fire inspector, Lt. Brown saw a need for better protection of multi-family residential dwellings. An interconnected wireless detector system, though more expensive than traditional smoke detectors, would give that increased protection. When one detector in the system senses senses smoke, it alerts all the other detectors in the system simultaneously. They all sound their alarms, giving notification to occupants throughout the building. He persuaded one condominium association that interconnected wireless smoke detectors offered the best protection. That association proceeded to purchase and install the wireless models. 

From there, Lt. Brown set his sights upon having all residents of multi-family dwellings within the township have the same protection. Recognizing that most of the smoke detectors in multi-family dwellings were past their 10-year life expectancy, he wrote in a request in 2011 to AFG for funding to replace them. The grant was denied. Not deterred, Lt. Brown recomposed the grant in 2012 and added to the request all of the Township’s adult foster care facilities. This time, AFG awarded the full funding to Bloomfield Township. 

Lt. Brown is now overseeing the installation of the wireless interconnected smoke detectors at the adult foster care facilities and the most populated multi-family dwellings and adult foster care facilities in Bloomfield Township. This has brought an added measure of safety to these complexes and their residents. 

Brian Batten, president of OCFPS, said, “Through Lt. Brown’s efforts and refusal to give up, he has brought an increased level of safety to these complexes and provided our residents improved early warning, increasing their chances of survival. … (His) dedication and thoroughness exemplifies the qualities his peers recognize as worthy of fire inspector of the year.”