First Alert is starting the “For a Safer Place” campaign to educate people on how to keep their homes and families safe from the threat of fire and carbon monoxide.

In-store safety events will be held in Lowe’s stores in 24 cities across the country, including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Francisco, according to Business Wire. Launched by First Alert, an American safety brand that makes carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms, the national “For a Safer Place” campaign will educate the public on how to protect their families and homes from fire and carbon monoxide poisoning.

“In order to help decrease home fire and CO poisoning incidents, people must be equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge,” Tom Russo, vice president of marketing for First Alert, said in a news release. “Through our partnership with participating local fire departments, we hope to help ensure the long-term safety and sustainability of communities nationwide.”

The program will be directed to both children and adults. For the kids, they will provide activity sheets and firefighter hats as well as fire safety activities and a Build and Grow kit, including goggles, an apron, and a fire safety patch. For adults, they will provide educational handouts about the importance of installing and maintaining smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and planning and practicing a fire escape plan.

These events will last through August, September, and October. First Alert recommended following guidelines set by the NFPA and U.S. Fire Administration (USFA). These guidelines recommend having smoke alarms installed on every level of the home, in each sleeping area, and outside sleeping areas. They also recommend a carbon monoxide detector be installed on each level and in each sleeping area. Also remember to change the smoke alarm batteries every six months.

“This national education campaign is part of our ongoing efforts to ensure people have the right tools and information that can help them stay safe in their homes,” Russo said in the news release.

Thirty-eight percent of every home fire death was the result of having no smoke alarm, and 21 percent were due to having no working smoke alarm, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The death rate per 100 home fires was twice as high in homes with no working smoke alarms. In fires in which the smoke alarms were present, but not working, almost half had missing or disconnected batteries. Dead batteries caused one quarter of smoke alarm failures. Remember to test smoke alarms monthly. If the fire alarm goes off, evacuate the home immediately and call 911 from outside.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate several thousand people are sickened by carbon monoxide poisoning and go to the hospital emergency room. More than 400 people die every year in the U.S. from unintentional, non-fire related carbon monoxide poisoning. If a carbon monoxide detector goes off, evacuate the home immediately and move to fresh air.

Gordon Johnson

Attorney Gordon Johnson is one of the nations leading brain injury advocates. He is Past-Chair of the TBILG, a national group of more than 150 brain injury advocates. He has spoken at numerous brain injury seminars and is the author of some of the most read brain injury web pages on the internet.

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