First Alert Collaborates with National Volunteer Fire Council on Online Training for Volunteer Fire Departments
AURORA, Ill. (PRWEB) October 16, 2017 -- In a fire, seconds count. Early warning from a properly functioning smoke alarm can provide life-saving detection and critical escape time to family members. Unfortunately, too many homes lack working smoke alarms or do not have a sufficient amount of working alarms for adequate protection. For this reason, First Alert and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) recently developed a new smoke alarm training course for fire departments nationwide, supplemented by an alarm donation program to help community members in need.
Called the “First Line of Defense,” the course aims to train fire department personnel in smoke alarm installation and safety to help reduce the risk of residential fire injuries and deaths in communities across the country. According to the National Fire Protection Association, 60 percent of home fire deaths occur in homes without sufficient smoke alarm protection, and the death rate from home fires is more than twice as high in homes that do not have any working smoke alarms compared to those with working smoke alarms.1
“No one is immune to the danger of home fires, but preventive steps can − and must − be taken,” said Tarsila Wey, director of marketing for First Alert, the most trusted brand in home safety.2 “We want to support the good work that volunteer fire departments are already doing in providing community-based fire safety education, which often involves installing smoke alarms in their communities. Through the training and First Alert’s corresponding smoke alarm donation program, we aim to equip these brave and selfless men and women with the tools to help reduce the number of home fire injuries and deaths in their communities.”
The course provides detailed information about how to properly install the correct type of alarm, appropriate in-home placement and maintenance, and the background of alarm technology. The training also emphasizes the importance of alarm replacement and knowing state and local fire codes, as many states and cities require battery-powered smoke alarms to feature a tamper-resistant 10-year sealed battery.
To compliment the training, First Alert donated 500 of these 10-year alarms to volunteer fire departments to allow them to make an immediate impact in their communities. Departments involved in the donation program were part of the NVFC’s Fire Corps program, which utilizes community volunteers to assist resource-constrained fire departments with non-operational tasks such as community education and smoke alarm installations.
“The educational resources provided in this course, combined with First Alert’s large donation of 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms, helps make communities across the country significantly safer,” said NVFC chair Kevin D. Quinn. “We are grateful for the bravery and commitment of volunteer firefighters and support personnel to keep their neighbors safe and help prevent fire-related injuries and deaths.”
The “First Line of Defense” is now available in the NVFC Virtual Classroom. Access the course at http://www.nvfc.org/access-the-nvfc-virtual-classroom. The course will be FREE for the first 500 participants, compliments of First Alert, so sign up today! For more information on consumer fire safety and products, go to http://www.firstalert.com.
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1 National Fire Protection Association “Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires” Report, September 2015
2First 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 [email protected].
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 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.
About the National Volunteer Fire Council
The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) is the leading nonprofit membership association representing the interests of the volunteer fire, EMS, and rescue services. The NVFC serves as the voice of the volunteer in the national arena and provides invaluable resources, programs, education, and advocacy for first responders across the nation. Learn more at http://www.nvfc.org.
©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.
Rebecca Raudabaugh, L.C. Williams & Associates, +1 (312) 565-4604, [email protected]
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