Fourth grade students from Global Learning Academy are working with area businesses to bring awareness to the dangers of house fires. The students have collected smoke detectors and plan to distribute the detectors to area neighborhoods in honor of 8-year-old Te'Laysia Jackson and her sister Te'Sjohnna Sanford, age 10, two classmates that were killed in a house fire earlier this month. 

Five Hundred smoke detectors have been donated – 250 by Gulf Power Company and 250 by First Alert.

Gulf Power employees will help the 4^th grade students fill bags with the smoke detectors, letters from the students and materials about electrical and fire safety this Friday, March 2, at 1 p.m. at Global Learning Academy. Pensacola Fire Marshall David Allen is attending this event in support of the student’s efforts.

Global Learning Academy and Gulf Power are Partners in Education, an Escambia School district program that promotes business involvement in schools.

“When we learned what the students wanted to do in honor of the two little girls that lost their lives we knew we wanted to be a part of that,” said Jeff Rogers, Gulf Power’s Corporate Communications supervisor.

Global Learning Academy’s Principal Dr. Sheree' Cagle has coordinated the project along with Gulf Power, First Alert and the City Fire Department.

“The students wanted to do something special to remember their classmates,” said Cagle. “They decided that putting a smoke detector in every home would be the best way to remember their friends. This is special because it was the students' idea. I think it gives them a sense of peace because they know they are making a difference.”

Pensacola Fire Marshall David Allen will be assembling volunteers from Gulf Power, First Alert, the City Fire Department and other Partners in Education of Global Learning Academy to actually install these smoke detectors in community homes later in March.

Gulf Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility with all of its common stock owned by Atlanta-based Southern Company. Gulf Power serves more than 435,000 customers in eight counties throughout Northwest Florida. The company’s mission is to safely deliver affordable, reliable and environmentally responsible electric service to our customers while working to improve the communities we serve. Visit online at GulfPower.com or on the company’s Facebook page, “Gulf Power Company.”