AURORA, Ill., Oct. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Not all heroes
wear capes, and when it comes to fire and carbon monoxide safety,
anyone can be a superhero. In honor of Fire Prevention Month this
October, First Alert, the most trusted brand in home safety*, is
encouraging everyone to be super prepared when it comes to whole
home safety. First Alert has been helping protect homes and
families since 1958.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
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"Three of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes
without smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms**," said
Tarsila Wey, director of marketing
for First Alert, a leader in residential fire and carbon monoxide
(CO) detection devices. "Many of these tragedies could be prevented
with proper placement and maintenance of working smoke alarms, as
well as prior emergency and escape planning. Through a highly
educational and fun campaign with our Super Prepared Family, we aim
to help people understand the importance of practicing fire safety
and involving their whole families when discussing the topic."
Ensuring properly functioning smoke and CO alarms are installed
throughout the home – one on each level and in every bedroom, as
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends – is the
first line of defense for fire prevention. Additionally, alarms
must be regularly tested – and alarms do not last forever and must
be replaced at least every 10 years.
Beyond alarms, having fire extinguishers – and knowing how to
use them – is an important part of maintaining a safe home for you
and your family. Place extinguishers in each area of the home where
a fire could potentially occur, including the kitchen, living room,
each bedroom and garage.
Another critical component of fire safety is having – and
frequently practicing – an escape plan with your family. As part of
this plan, equip second-floor sleeping areas with escape ladders
and discuss how to use them. In the event of an emergency, it is
important to exit the home, stay outside and wait at the
predesignated meeting area. Call 911 and wait until officials clear
your home to re-enter it safely.
The Super Prepared Family
From the outside, they may look like a typical family, but each
family member has a special "super safety power" and plays an
important role in helping ensure their family and home are
protected.
Max Safety, the dad, is super-tall. Using his long arms,
he's able to easily install smoke and CO alarms throughout the
home. Able to reach great heights, he's also responsible for
testing the family's alarms and replacing their batteries when
needed. In fact, he checks each month to ensure every alarm is in
proper working order. Because alarms do not last forever, Max makes
sure to replace alarms every 10 years to help ensure his family is
protected.
Mom Audrey Safety is a super-smart planner. She stays
informed of the latest recommendations from the NFPA to ensure her
family is super prepared. She has a complete safety checklist and
makes sure she follows it with help from everyone in the family
home. Items on her checklist include testing alarms, keeping track
of expiration dates and replacing alarms as needed, ensuring alarms
are installed on every level, and planning and practicing her
family's escape route. With Audrey, nothing falls through the
cracks, which is why other annual items such as professionally
servicing the furnace and ensuring dryer vents are clean also make
the checklist.
Their daughter, Valerie Safety, is super-organized. She
draws out the family's fire escape plan, reviews it with the entire
family and ensures that they practice it regularly together and
include pets. Fire can spread through a home rapidly, so by
creating their escape plan and practicing it regularly, the Super
Prepared Family can get to safety quickly and calmly. Valerie makes
sure the family practices their escape plan at least twice a
year.
Younger son Alex and the family dog Buddy are the
super-navigators. They know the importance of getting out and
staying out of the home if there is an emergency, and waiting in
their pre-determined meeting spot away from the home until the
firefighters say the home is clear to re-enter. Alex knows to
immediately call 911 once they are safely out of the home.
Fortunately, advances in smoke alarm technology have made it
even easier for every family to become a Super Prepared Family. If
alarms are due for replacement, consider upgrading your level of
protection with First Alert smoke and CO alarms containing 10-year
sealed batteries, which offer tamper-proof, hassle-free protection
while eliminating the need to replace batteries for the life of the
alarms.
The NFPA recommends equipping homes with alarms of both types of
smoke detection –photoelectric and ionization. Consider your home's
specific needs regarding placement, making sure to install alarms
in the basement, in or just outside every bedroom area and placing
CO alarms on every level of the home. A variety of smoke alarms,
including combination and 10-year battery powered models, are
available to meet specific needs and local requirements.
The Super Prepared Family know the importance of kitchen safety,
too, as cooking equipment is the leading cause of home fires and
fire injuries.** It is important to place a fire extinguisher in
the kitchen and in other parts of the home where fires may occur.
Additionally, they outfit upstairs bedrooms with escape ladders in
case a secondary safe exit is ever needed in an emergency.
"Fire Prevention Month is an ideal time to take the time to
discuss and practice whole home safety." added Wey. "In addition,
take time this month to thank your local fire departments for all
they do to keep your community safe. They're the true superheroes
of fire safety!"
To see the Super Prepared Family in action and obtain
information and other resources regarding 10-year alarms, alarm
laws in your state, as well as tips for protecting your family from
smoke, fire and carbon monoxide, visit
www.firstalert.com/firepreventionmonth.
*First Alert Brand Trust Survey, February 2017 – Results are based on the
responses of 1,004 adults, ages 18 and older, living in
the United States who completed a
telephone survey, February 16-19,
2017. Results are accurate to +/- 3 percentage points with 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 and results, contact
Tim Young at LCWA: 312/565-4628
or tyoung@lcwa.com.
**National Fire Protection Association
(www.nfpa.org)
About BRK Brands, Inc.
BRK Brands, Inc.
(Aurora, IL), is a fully owned
subsidiary of Newell Brands. For 50
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 (NYSE: 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®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Rawlings®, Oster®, Sunbeam®,
FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®,
Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First
Alert®, Waddington and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of
consumers, Newell Brands makes life
better every day, where they live, learn, work and play.
This press release and additional information about
Newell Brands are available on the
company's website, http://www.newellbrands.com.
©2017 BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora,
IL 60504. All rights reserved.
First Alert® is a registered trademark of The First
Alert Trust, Aurora, IL 60504.
BRK Electronics® is a registered trademark of BRK
Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL
60504.
NYSE is a registered service mark of NYSE Group, Inc.
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SOURCE First Alert