The Gift of Safety

The most valuable gifts of the holiday season are always the most intangible and impossible to guarantee. And safety is no exception.

In 2021, home fires in the United States hit a 14-year high.[1] And Christmas Day and Christmas Eve are among the leading days for home fires.[2] While there may be ‘no place like home for the holidays,’ our homes can be where people are at the greatest risk,[3] and the data shows that, unfortunately, fire safety isn't the same for everyone.?

Some communities are at a tremendous disadvantage when it comes to fire safety. In fact, fire fatalities in Black communities are almost 2X that of individuals of any other race.[4]?And, every day, at least one child dies from a home fire.[5] Likewise, the elderly are more likely to die in a residential fire – a staggering 2.5X more likely.[6]?

People everywhere deserve to feel safe and protected in their home, their sanctuary. At Kidde, we are here to support and lead the way in home health and safety.

In October, we launched Cause For AlarmTM to help provide equitable fire safety education and greater access to resources in vulnerable communities by coming together through the power of cross-sector partnerships with organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, the FDNY Foundation, and the Bronx Community Foundation. And through our 2022 efforts alone, we will be donating more than one million dollars’ worth of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors to communities in need and supporting fire education and safety initiatives across the United States.

The good news is that most residential fire fatalities can be prevented with the right fire safety measures. In fact, smoke detectors can actually double the chances of escaping home fires safely. So, when you’re making your list this holiday season, be sure to add the following fire safety checks to the top.

• First, check that you have a working smoke detector in each room and on every level of your home.
• Next, equip your residence with fire extinguishers in spots that are easy to access on each floor.
• Also, ensure you have carbon monoxide detectors that meet quality standards and are working properly. Check that there is one on each floor and near bedrooms.
• And finally, make an escape plan with your family. According to the National Fire Protection Association, people have as little as two minutes to escape a typical home fire from the time the smoke alarm sounds.[7] Having an escape plan with which your loved ones are familiar can translate into life-saving minutes. And don’t forget – if you’re traveling, figure out your escape plan and check that wherever you’re staying is equipped with smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers to keep you and your loved ones safe. If the homes away from home don't come equipped with the right safety products and measures, request them to be put in place.

With the right fire safety education and access to home safety products, we can all help bring the gift of safety to more homes this holiday season.

You can learn more about fire and carbon monoxide safety at Kidde.com. Wishing you a happy, safe and healthy holiday season!

#HealthyHomesfortheHolidays #FireSafety #CauseForAlarm #HealthyHomes

[1] https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Press-Room/News-releases/2022/Newly-released-NFPA-report-shows-us-home-fire-deaths-hit-14-year-high-in-2022

[2] https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Blogs-Landing-Page/Safety-Source/Blog-Posts/2021/12/09/Christmas-Day-and-Christmas-Eve-are-among-the-leading-days-of-the-year-forUS-home-fires

[3] https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Press-Room/News-releases/2022/Newly-released-NFPA-report-shows-us-home-fire-deaths-hit-14-year-high-in-2022.

[4] New York State Department of Health. “Residential Fires Disproportionately Impact Vulnerable Populations,” https://www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/News-Releases/2022/Learn-the-Sounds-of-Fire-Safety-to-Avoid-Danger-African-Americans-Have-the-Highest-Rate-of-Fire-Deaths-and-Injuries revised January 2014.

[5] U.S. Fire Administration. “Fire and the Older Adult,” https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/fa-300.pdf January 2006.

[6] ?National Fire Protection Association. “Home Fire Victims by Age and Gender,” https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/Building-and-life-safety/oshomevictims.pdf December 2021.

[7] https://www.nfpa.org/News-and-Research/Publications-and-media/Press-Room/News-releases/2022/Newly-released-NFPA-report-shows-us-home-fire-deaths-hit-14-year-high-in-2022