VAUGHAN, Ontario, Sept. 14, 2021 /CNW/ -- After months of working
remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some parents across
Canada are preparing to return to
the office. The transition back to work occurs as students head
back to school, and children may find themselves home alone or
unsupervised for the first time before/after school or for longer
stretches of time. According to a new survey commissioned by Kidde,
leader in state-of-the-art smoke and carbon monoxide (CO)
detection, and conducted online by The Harris Poll:
- 52% of parents with children ages 10-17 plan to have children
staying home alone before or after school.
- Among those, 8% of parents with children ages 10-17 say it will
be their child's first time ever staying home alone.
As schools welcome students back, it's an ideal time for parents
to brush up on fire and CO safety education with their families.
Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy,
safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain
solutions.
As the leader in fire safety products and part of Carrier's
Healthy Homes program, Kidde is sharing important information,
tips and resources to help parents keep their children fire and CO
safe while home alone or unsupervised after school. While many
fires may be the result of curious children playing, flames may be
sparked by the use of cooking appliances, candles, fireworks or
other equipment. If a fire starts or a CO alarm goes off, it is
important to teach children how to appropriately react and how to
get help. In fact, The Harris Poll showed that 27% of parents with
children ages 10-17 have not discussed fire safety at home with
their children.
"Imagine how scary it might be for a child who is home alone
when a fire starts or when a CO alarm goes off," said Sharon Cooksey, Fire Safety Educator for Kidde.
"The majority of adults know what to do in the case of an
emergency, but children may not know to get outside and stay
outside. It's never too early to teach children about fire and CO
safety in the home and how to appropriately and confidently
respond."
To help keep children safe from the dangers of home fires during
this back-to-school season, Kidde compiled a list of resources and
activities for parents to educate their children in a fun,
relatable way. These resources are available to view and download
at www.kiddecanada.com. In addition, Kidde shares the following 7
easy tips to help keep your family safe from home fires or carbon
monoxide leaks:
- Fire and CO Safety Devices: Homes should have one
smoke alarm in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area
and on every level of the home including basements. Install CO
alarms outside each separate sleeping area, on every level of the
home and in other locations as required. Keep one general purpose
fire extinguisher, such as 2-A:10-B:C rated, on every floor and in
critical areas like the kitchen, garage and utility rooms.
- Conduct a Match and Lighter Roundup: Minimize the
risk of a home fire by keeping matches and lighters out of reach
and teach children to stay away from fire sources like lit candles
and stoves.
- Skip Snacks that Require Cooking: Prep food and
after school meals that DO NOT require the use of appliances like
toasters or stovetops so that your child has no reason to operate
cooking equipment.
- Fire Escape Planning: Children should know how to
escape the home in case of an emergency. When escape planning,
remember the twos: Always know 2 ways out of every room, practice 2
times per year and 2 times of the day – daytime and nighttime.
- Get Outside, Stay Outside: Remember, if the smoke
or CO alarm sounds, get outside and stay outside. Children,
especially those playing with "off-limits" appliances, may fear
their parents' reactions, and/or may hide under beds or in closets,
believing this will protect them from fires. Kidde encourages
parents to teach children that getting outside is the priority in
case of a fire.
- Smoke Alarm Maintenance: In addition to testing alarms
once each week, schedule routine cleaning and maintenance of every
smoke alarm according to manufacturer instructions. Every smoke
alarm must be replaced at least every 10 years; be sure to check
alarm installation dates.
- CO Alarm Maintenance: Carbon monoxide alarms must
be replaced every seven to 10 years, guidance varies depending on
the specific model and manufacturer, as they may not detect the
presence of CO after alarms reach maximum age. Newer model CO
alarms may feature a "replacement signal" or end-of-life
notification, two beeps every 30-60 seconds. It's important to know
how to identify the alarm sounds, test alarms weekly, replace
batteries where applicable and check alarms' age to ensure
equipment is working properly. For more information, please see
your manufacturer's user guide and instructions.
For more fire safety tips for the whole family, including pets,
visit www.kiddecanada.com.
About Kidde
Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms,
carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories,
has been keeping the world a safer place for over 100 years. Kidde
produced the first integrated smoke detection system a century ago
and continues its legacy today by delivering advanced fire-safety
technology. Kidde is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the
leading global provider of healthy, safe and sustainable building
and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit
kiddecanada.com or follow @KiddeCanada, and on
Facebook and Instagram.
Survey Methodology:
This survey was conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf
of Kidde from August
17-20 among 1,012 adults ages 18 and older in Canada, among whom 150 are parents of children
ages 10-17. This online survey is not based on a probability sample
and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be
calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting
variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Sharon
Cooksey at Sharon.Cooksey@carrier.com.
Contact:
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Sharon
Cooksey
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919-612-0583
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sharon.cooksey@carrier.com
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SOURCE Kidde