NFL Hall of Famer Helps New Yorkers Install Smoke Alarms
Throwing touchdown passes is no longer part of Y.A. Tittle's job description; he's in charge of Y.A. Tittle & Associates Insurance Services. On Nov. 17, he presented a $27,500 check in New York City to the FDNY Chiefs' Smoke Alarm Initiative. Tittle's firm partnered with Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. to provide the donation, which will fund the purchase and distribution of 1,500 smoke alarms to city residents.
"Last month's tragedy in Chelsea, which claimed the lives of six family members, could likely have been avoided with a working smoke alarm," said Nicholas Scoppetta, New York's fire commissioner. "This generous gift from Mr. Tittle and the Fireman's Fund will help us get working smoke alarms out to more families and keep them safety. The Fireman's Fund has provided great support to this department's efforts, and we're grateful to be with them again here today.”
The New York City Fire Department says more than two-thirds of all fire deaths in the city last year happened in homes that lacked working smoke alarms. The FDNY Chiefs' Smoke Alarm Initiative places working alarms and batteries on fire vehicles so firefighters can distribute them when they observe a non-working alarm or enter a home where no alarm is present.
Tittle played for the New York Giants in 1961-64.