Muskegon County Fire Departments receive smoke alarms to be installed in homes Operation Save A Life, Safety, , , , ,
10
Mar 2015

(left: Fire Marshal Ted Karnitz, Norton Shores Fire Department right: Fire Inspector Mark Nicolai, Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department)

(left: Fire Marshal Ted Karnitz, Norton Shores Fire Department right: Fire Inspector Mark Nicolai, Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department)

Monday morning, two representatives from Muskegon County area fire departments received 1,000 smoke alarms donated by Kidde through the Operation Save A Life program, a partnership between WOTV4Women, Kidde, The Home Depot and the non-profit fire safety charity E.S.C.A.P.E.  The alarms will be distributed to Muskegon County Fire Departments and will be installed in at-risk homes.

Fire Marshal Ted Karnitz from the Norton Shores Fire Department and Fire Inspector Mark Nicolai from the Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department will be facilitating the program throughout Muskegon County.

“The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms,” said  Karnitz.  “Programs like Operation Save A Life and Michigan S.A.F.E. (Smoke Alarms For Everyone) allow fire departments throughout Muskegon County as well as other areas of Michigan to place a combined effort on installing smoke alarms in homes and providing fire safety information which will reduce fire-related injury or death.”

For more information about the Muskegon County smoke alarm installation program, please contact:

Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department – 231-773-4316

Norton Shores Fire Department – 231-799-6809

or email [email protected]

 

List: West Michigan smoke detector installation programs Operation Save A Life, Safety, , , , , ,
09
Mar 2015

smoke-alarm-batteries

When a tragic fire happens, communities come together to address fire safety.  But what if there was a way for communities to work together before a fire broke out, to help save property and lives before they were lost?

Operation Save A Life is a free smoke and carbon monoxide installation program in select communities across West Michigan.  The program can make a big difference in reducing deaths and injuries in a fire or during carbon monoxide incidents.

Smoke alarms are the life-saving success story of the past 30 years.  However each year, three out of five homes in the United States result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

Here is a list of some of the area smoke alarm installation programs across West Michigan:

Allegan County:

Dorr Township Fire Department – 616-681-9874
Fennville Area Fire Department – 269-561-2148
Graafschap Fire and Rescue – 616-396-4060
Salem Township Fire – 616-292-7789

Branch:

Coldwater Fire Department – 517-278-4177

Calhoun:

Battle Creek Fire Department – 269-966-3519

Eaton:

Olivet Fire Department – 269-492-3340

Kent:

Allendale Fire Department – 616-895-6295, ext. 30
Grand Rapids Fire Department – 616-456-3966
Walker Fire Department – 616-791-6840

Montcalm:

Home Township Fire Department (Edmore) – 989-400-1975

Muskegon:

Muskegon Charter Township Fire Department – 231-773-4316
Norton Shores Fire Department – 231-799-6809

For more information on fire safety or to find a smoke alarm installation program near your community, email [email protected].

 

‘Spring ahead’ for fire safety Operation Save A Life, Safety, , , , , ,
07
Mar 2015

smoke-alarm1

When was the last time you checked your smoke alarm? Since January 1, Michigan ranked #2 in the country for home fire deaths. These deaths have occurred in homes that did not have working smoke alarms. E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety reminds you that properly installed and maintained smoke alarms on every level of your home are the only mitigation devices that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you’re awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for fire and smoke.

Take the opportunity when you “spring ahead” on Sunday March 8 to test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and replace the batteries as needed.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, almost two-thirds of home fire deaths resulted from fires in properties without working smoke alarms. A working smoke alarm significantly increases your chances of surviving a deadly home fire.

There are many different brands of smoke alarms available on the market, but they fall under two basic types: ionization and photoelectric.

It cannot be stated definitively that one is better than the other in every fire situation that could arise in a residence. Because both ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms are better at detecting distinctly different, yet potentially fatal fires, and because no one can predict what type of fire might start in a home, the United States Fire Administration recommends that every residence and place where people sleep be equipped with:

  • Both ionization AND photoelectric smoke alarms, OR
  • dual sensor smoke alarms, which contain both ionization and photoelectric smoke sensors

In addition to the basic types of alarms, there are alarms made to meet the needs of people with hearing disabilities. These alarms may use strobe lights that flash and/or vibrate to assist in alerting those who are unable to hear standard smoke alarms when they sound.

Smoke alarms are powered by a battery or they are hardwired into the home’s electrical system. If the smoke alarm is powered by battery, it runs on either a disposable 9-volt battery or a non-replaceable 10-year lithium (“long-life”) battery. A backup battery is usually present on hardwired alarms and may need to be replaced.

These batteries must be tested on a regular basis and, in most cases, should be replaced at least once each year (except for lithium batteries).

Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including the basement. Many fatal fires begin late at night or early in the morning, so the U.S. Fire Administration recommends installing smoke alarms both inside and outside of sleeping areas.

Since smoke and many deadly gases rise, installing your smoke alarms at the proper level will provide you with the earliest warning possible. Always follow the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

Smoke alarms are not expensive and are worth the lives they can help save. Ionization and photoelectric smoke alarms cost between $6 and $20. Dual sensor smoke alarms cost between $24 and $40.

Some fire departments offer reduced price, or even free, smoke alarms and may install battery operated smoke alarms in your home at no cost. Contact your local fire department’s non-emergency phone number for more information or e-mail [email protected] for more details on a smoke alarm installation program close to Where You Live!

For more information regarding fire safety and smoke alarms including maintenance and suggested replacement guidelines, please visit the U.S. Fire Administration’s Smoke Alarms website.

 

Save a Life Saturday events to be held across West Michigan Operation Save A Life, Safety, , ,
04
Mar 2015

WOTV 4 Women is proud to team up with several West Michigan fire departments, Kidde, ESCAPE Fire Safety and The Home Depot for Operation Save a Life- a collective commitment to promote fire and carbon monoxide safety.

Throughout the month of March WOTV 4 Women is airing fire safety and carbon monoxide poisoning prevention messages.  If you’re interested in having a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector installed in your home ESCAPE Fire Safety can help connect you with an area fire department. Email [email protected] for more information.

As part of Operation Save a Life, Kidde along with and The Home Depot, will be donating thousands of Kidde-brand smoke detectors and CO alarms to participating Fire Departments for distribution to homes in their communities.  Home Depot will also be hosting Save a Life Saturday Events on March 7th, 2015 .  Their team of experts will be answering all your safety questions and giving  fire prevention tips so you can keep your family safe. See list below for participating Home Depot locations.

Save A Life Saturday Events

KENTWOOD
4646 28TH STREET, SE GRAND RAPIDS MI 49512

WALKER
2727 ALPINE AVE NW WALKER MI 49544

WYOMING
4900 WILSON AVE SW GRANDVILLE MI 49418

ROOSEVELT PARK
2699 HENRY STREET MUSKEGON MI 49441

WYOMING
257 54TH STREET SW WYOMING MI 49548

GRAND HAVEN
900 JACKSON STREET GRAND HAVEN MI 49417

 

Operation Save a Life campaign kicks off to keep West Michigan families safe Operation Save A Life, Safety, , , ,
04
Mar 2015

Did you know three out of five home fire deaths result from fires in properties without working smoke alarms?  More than one-third (37%) of home fire deaths result from fires in which no smoke alarms are present.  The risk of dying in a home fire is cut in half in homes with working smoke alarms.

Michigan Civilian Fire Fatalities (from the United States Fire Administration)

  • Currently, Michigan ranks #2 in the country for civilian fire fatalities
  • As of 12/31/2014, West Michigan accounted for 26% of the state’s civilian fire fatalities
  • Fire fatalities are affecting older adults (those over 65 years) and younger children (those under 14) at a faster rate compared to any other age group.
  • Since 2012, Michigan fire fatality numbers have been the worst, not seen since 1999.

Operation Save a Life

Kidde and WOTV 4 Women are proud to partner together on Operation Save A Life — a public service campaign designed to educate consumers and raise awareness about the dangers of fire and carbon monoxide poisoning. Since 2002, Kidde has donated more than 1 million smoke alarms to participating fire departments for installation in area homes as part of this program.

In addition, each area specific ABC-affiliate creates safety vignettes that air during the campaign. Our hope is that these educational messages combined with Kidde product donations and informative product displays in retail stores across the country will help save lives.

Kidde donated 2,500 smoke alarms and 500 carbon monoxide alarms for installation by fire departments and other trained professionals in select homes throughout West Michigan.  Each type of alarm contain a 10-year sealed battery for worry-free protection.

You can follow the Operation Save A Life conversation via #OpSaveALife and by liking Kidde’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Learn more: http://www.kidde.com/IntheCommunity/Pages/OperationSaveALife.aspx

Kidde

Kidde is a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and fire extinguishers. It has been delivering advanced fire-safety technology since producing the first integrated smoke detection and carbon dioxide extinguishing system in 1917. Kidde is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.kidde.com/ or follow @KiddeSafety on Twitter (https://twitter.com/KiddeSafety).

For more information on Operation Save A Life or to find out how to get a smoke detector or carbon monoxide detector installed into your West Michigan home contact us:

Email:  [email protected]

 

Carbon monoxide is the silent killer Operation Save A Life, Safety, Videos, , , ,
08
Feb 2015

Like fire, carbon monoxide (CO) is just as deadly. It’s called the silent killer because it’s colorless, odorless and invisible. More than 150 people in the United States die every year from accidental nonfire-related CO poisoning associated with consumer products, including generators. When you breathe in CO, it makes you feel nauseas, dizzy, headachy, and tired like you have the flu. It also makes it difficult to think clearly. CO poisons the body by removing oxygen in the blood stream, slowing suffocating you and eventually causing unconsciousness and even death.

Winter snows can create drifts that block exhaust vents, forcing CO to back-up into your home. High efficiency appliances and those with power-vent blowers by definition waste less heat, so the exhaust air temperature is very low. Often it is too low to melt snow or ice in a plugged exhaust pipe or vent. Keep sidewall and direct vents clear of obstructions, drifting snow and bushes to provide proper ventilation.

Where does CO come from?

Heating equipment is the leading cause of CO incidents. It can also come from hot water heaters, gas stoves, gas dryers, barbecue grills, fireplaces, and from cars, lawn mowers, snow blowers or generators running inside the garage – even with the door open. A large number of CO incidents take place between the months of November and February and between 5 p.m. and 10 a.m. This is the time when most heating equipment is being used at home.

Facts & figures

• The dangers of CO exposure depend on a number of variables, including the victim’s health and activity level. Infants, pregnant women, and people with physical conditions that limit their body’s ability to use oxygen (i.e. emphysema, asthma, heart disease) can be more severely affected by lower concentrations of CO than healthy adults would be.
• A person can be poisoned by a small amount of CO over a longer period of time or by a large amount of CO over a shorter amount of time.
• In 2010, U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated 80,100 non-fire CO incidents in which carbon monoxide was found, or an average of nine such calls per hour. The number of incidents increased 96 percent from 40,900 incidents reported in 2003. This increase is most likely due to the increased use of CO detectors, which alert people to the presence of CO.

What to do if you suspect CO exposure

• Get out of the house or car and get fresh air.
• Call the fire department or 911 from a neighbor’s house.
• If you have symptoms, seek medical help immediately.

For more information on carbon monoxide safety, please visit the National Fire Protection Association or the United States Fire Administration websites.

 

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