The Allegheny County Health Department is distributing free smoke alarms to county residents, with priority to residents of the 17 areas that had high numbers of fires last year.

The county has 1,000 smoke alarms, equipped with 10-year lithium batteries. The smoke alarms will be installed for free by the county, which will also provide free fire safety education.

Health Department Spokesman Guillermo Cole said residents may receive multiple smoke detectors so that one could be installed on each floor of a home.

The communities being targeted for the program are those which had fire rates of 3.1 to 9.9 structure fires for every 1,000 housing units. Countywide the rate is 0.7 fires for every 1,000 units.

The smoke alarms will be available to any county resident, but priority is being given for the 17 communities, which are Braddock, Collier, Duquesne, Etna, Forward, Homestead, McKeesport, North Braddock, Versailles, Wilkinsburg and the Pittsburgh neighborhoods of Allentown, Beltzhoover, Carrick, Hazelwood, Homewood, Lincoln-Lemington and Perry South.

To sign up for the program call 412-247-7800.