Expecting a Domino’s delivery van, Matt Kacich was surprised to open the front door and see the flashing lights of an Urbana fire truck Wednesday night. Urbana’s Fire Department company officer Dave Wilson and firemen Mike Ashby and Lee Buxton delivered Kacich’s dinner as well as offered to check the house’s smoke detectors.

To promote the national “Change Your Clock, Change Your Batteries” smoke detector campaign, Urbana Fire Rescue Services has teamed up with Urbana Domino’s Pizza.

“I was shocked,” Kacich said. “When I saw the truck outside, I had no idea what was going on.”

The campaign links the changing of batteries in smoke detectors with adjusting clocks for daylight savings time on Oct. 30 as a helpful reminder for residents.

Continuing through Friday, a random customer who calls in for a delivery order from Urbana’s Domino’s Pizza, 1106 S. Vine St., between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. will receive the delivery from the Urbana Fire Rescue Services. Customers will be asked for permission to check that their smoke detectors are in good operating condition. If they get their detectors checked, customers receive their order free of charge.

The campaign already served its purpose: Checking the first floor smoke detector with an aerosol can of smoke, Wilson discovered it had faulty batteries.

“I knew we (were) supposed to change them every six months, but I didn’t know the last time it was checked,” Kacich said. “If something would have happened, it wouldn’t have been working, but it’s a good thing it worked out.”

Raising awareness for keeping smoke detectors operating is an important goal of the Urbana Fire and Rescue Service year around.

“We actually go knock on doors on Saturdays,” Ashby said. “We check smoke detectors, check batteries, and if they don’t have them we install them free of charge. We try to get to every house in Urbana every year. So this isn’t the only thing we do for smoke detectors.”

With Domino’s Pizza involvement in Urbana’s campaign for the last five years, Mike Villarreal, owner of the Champaign, Urbana and Rantoul Domino’s restaurants, understands the campaign’s effectiveness.

“After picking up the pizza, (The Urbana Fire Rescue Services) draw attention by blaring sirens, running the truck’s lights, and making a lot of noise as they drive to the house,” Villarreal said. “Then neighbors ask other neighbors what’s going on, and eventually people will hear that someone received a free pizza after checking their smoke detector batteries.”

Villarreal said the hope is to remind the neighbors to check their own detectors when they see someone receiving a free pizza.

“Bringing awareness is important,” Villarreal said. “Especially now because it’s about that time of year when everyone is about to start kicking on heaters.”

Villarreal feels the campaign is important to the safety of the community.

“Having a fire can dramatically affect the community,” Villarreal said. “Any way we can keep a fire from happening is always important. We are happy to be a part of the program because, you know, we are a part of this community, too.”