AURORA, Ill., June 18, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Fire safety
leaders are partnering for the third-annual Town/Gown Fire Safety
Community Service Project, pairing college students with fire
departments across the nation to help install smoke alarms in
at-risk homes in their communities. This unique project is
coordinated through a partnership between First Alert, the most
trusted brand in home safety*, Campus Firewatch and the Michael H.
Minger Foundation, and invites colleges, universities and fire
departments across the country to apply for the opportunity to
participate.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8561751-first-alert-campus-firewatch-michael-h-minger-foundation-town-gown-project/
Selected departments will receive free First Alert smoke and
carbon monoxide (CO) alarms along with educational
materials—helping students learn fire safety by doing fire safety
and impacting long-term community safety.
Fires and fire deaths continue to be prevalent and preventable,
with surprising statistics further highlighting the importance of
the Town/Gown project. According to the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA):
- Every 24 seconds: A fire department responds to a fire (1.3
million)
- Every 88 seconds: A fire breaks out in a home (357,000)
- Every 3 hours and 20 minutes: Someone dies in a house fire
(3,400)
- Every 50 minutes: Someone is injured in a house fire
(14,670)
- Three out of four: The number of fires that occur in the home,
the very place that most people feel the safest.
- Three out of every five: The number of home fire deaths that
result from fires in homes without smoke alarms or any working
smoke alarms.
"The NFPA further reports that in the fires where a smoke alarm
was present, but did not operate, half of them had missing or
disconnected batteries. But when a home does have working
smoke alarms, it cuts the fatality risk in reported home fires in
half," said Tarsila Wey, director of
marketing for First Alert. "Smoke alarms are one of the easiest
solutions to implement and most important home safety devices, and
through the Town/Gown project, we're able to both educate
communities about fire safety and install alarms in at-risk homes
for a long-lasting impact."
To help address this national issue at the local level, fire
departments, colleges and universities across the country are
invited to apply to participate in the Town/Gown project. The entry
period will open 12:00 a.m. Central Daylight
Time (CDT) on June 18, 2019,
and will end at 11:59 p.m. CDT on
July 22, 2019. Twenty-five
organizations will be selected to receive alarms and educational
materials to distribute in their communities by having students
work alongside firefighters doing home safety visits. Building on
successes of the first two years, First Alert aims to donate and
install thousands of alarms to increase the number of working smoke
alarms in American homes and improve fire safety.
To learn more or submit an application for the Town/Gown Fire
Safety Community Service Project, visit
FirstAlert.com/TownGown.
Town/Gown Project Teaches Fire Safety at Grassroots
Level
"The collaboration between students, fire departments,
universities and their surrounding communities builds an overall
stronger, safer community," said Ed
Comeau, founder of Campus Firewatch. "Teaching these
students fire safety by doing fire safety is an important life
skill that benefits not only the students, but those around them as
well."
"The Town/Gown project is a truly unique volunteer opportunity
where students get to work alongside fire safety professionals to
help at-risk community members," said Gail
Minger, president of the Michael H. Minger Foundation. "The
students gain real-world knowledge about what they should—and
shouldn't—do in regard to smoke and CO alarm placement and
maintenance."
"Campus Firewatch and the Michael H. Minger Foundation are
exceptional organizations that share our mission to increase fire
safety awareness," said Wey. "They're invaluable partners in this
project as we work to help protect families and their homes."
Fire Safety Do's and Don'ts
In order to protect what
matters most in the event of a fire or CO emergency, First Alert
recommends careful preparation and planning:
- Do: Check where your alarms are placed. The U.S. Fire
Administration and NFPA advise that homes have smoke alarms
installed inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on
every level of the home, including the basement. For CO alarms,
homes should have at least one alarm on each level and one in or
near every bedroom.
- Don't: Install it, then forget it. Smoke alarms
don't last forever and should be replaced every 10 years. And don't
assume your alarm is working properly; test it monthly and change
the batteries at least once a year or if a low battery chirp
occurs. Alarms with a 10-year sealed battery provide hassle-free
protection, eliminating the risk of forgetting to change the
batteries or having an alarm deactivated due to battery
removal.
- Do: Make and practice an escape plan. It is
essential to plan an emergency escape route and practice it at
least twice a year. This ensures that everyone knows how to
evacuate the home safely and where to meet, in the event of an
emergency.
To learn more about fire safety, visit the First Alert website
at www.firstalert.com, the Campus Firewatch website at
www.campus-firewatch.com or the Michael H. Minger Foundation
at www.mingerfoundation.org. You also can follow the Town/Gown Fire
Safety Community Service Project on Twitter and
Facebook via #TownGownFire.
*First Alert Brand Trust Survey, February 2018 – Results are based on the
responses of 1,000 adults, ages 25 and older, living in
the United States who completed an
online survey, February 15-19, 2018.
Results are statistically significant at a 95 percent confidence
level and can be generalized to the entire adult population in
the United States within those
statistical parameters. For more information or a copy of the
complete survey results, contact Tim
Young at LCWA: 312/565-4628 or tyoung@lcwa.com.
About Campus Firewatch
Campus
Firewatch is a social entrepreneurship focused on
helping to save lives at our nation's campuses. For more
information, visit
http://www.campus-firewatch.com. Facebook | @campusfirewatch
About Michael H. Minger Foundation
The
Michael H. Minger Foundation was formed following the death of
Michael Minger in a residence hall
fire. The Foundation focuses on fire safety for all
students, including students with special needs such as physical,
sensory and cognitive disabilities. More information is available
at www.mingerfoundation.org or on Facebook
at facebook.com/mingerfoundation.
About BRK Brands, Inc.
BRK Brands, Inc.
(Aurora, IL), is a fully owned
subsidiary of Newell Brands. For 60
years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First
Alert®-branded home-safety products, the most trusted
and recognized safety brand in America. BRK® Brands
designs and develops innovative safety solutions including
Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray, Onelink by First Alert
smart home products, a comprehensive line of smoke alarms, carbon
monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and escape ladders to protect
what matters most. Such products are also marketed under the
BRK Electronics® brand, The Professional Standard for
the builder and contractor audiences. BRK Brands, Inc.
products are found in more than 30 countries worldwide. For
more information, visit
http://www.firstalert.com, http://www.brkelectronics.com or
http://www.newellbrands.com.
About Newell
Brands
Newell Brands (NASDAQ: NWL) is a
leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of
well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®,
Parker®, Elmer's®, Coleman®, Marmot®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®,
Mr. Coffee®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®,
Contigo®, First Alert®, and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of
millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better
every day, where they live, learn, work and play.
Additional information about Newell Brands is
available on the company's
website, www.newellbrands.com.
©2019 BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora,
IL 60504. All rights reserved.
BRK Electronics® is a registered trademark of BRK
Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL
60504.
Nasdaq® is a registered trademark of The Nasdaq Stock
Market, Inc.
Contacts: Lindsey Lucenta
or Rebecca Raudabaugh
L.C. Williams & Associates
P: 312-565-3900 or 800-837-7123
E: llucenta@lcwa.com or rraudabaugh@lcwa.com
View original
content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/service-project-teams-up-universities-and-fire-departments-to-install-first-alert-alarms-in-at-risk-homes-300869905.html
SOURCE First Alert