Fourteen Chicago-Area Fire Departments Awarded Smoke and CO Alarms

Mount Prospect, IL – The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) is awarding free smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to 14 Chicago-area fire departments in an effort to improve public safety and reduce the number of fire and CO deaths. These 14 departments were selected out of the nearly two-dozen that applied. The alarms will all be picked up by the fire departments at the IFSA headquarters in Mount Prospect between April 18th and May 18th for distribution in their home communities.

The 1,600 smoke and 250 CO alarms that are slated for distribution were provided by Operation Save a Life, a partnership between ABC7 Chicago and Kidde, a leading manufacturer of fire safety equipment. Operation Save a Life is a public service program designed to get life-saving smoke and carbon monoxide alarms into the hands of at-risk families and provide fire and carbon monoxide safety education.

The smoke alarms that will be distributed are all equipped with long-lasting, sealed-in batteries capable of powering the device for at least 10 years. These alarms are effectively impossible to disable and require virtually no maintenance during their lifespans. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three of every five home fire deaths in the United States occurs in a home without working smoke alarms. The most common reason smoke alarms are not working is because the batteries either expired or were removed. Ten-year alarms present a solution to that problem.

Fire deaths are a tragic and frequent occurrence in Illinois. The state currently ranks second in the nation, trailing only New York, for fire deaths during the year 2017.

“Every death is tragic,” said Philip Zaleski, Executive Director of the IFSA. “It is especially tragic when needless deaths could be prevented by the installation of a simple, proven, and inexpensive appliance. The presence of working smoke alarms is a proven lifesaver. The IFSA is pleased to partner with Kidde, Operation Save a Life, and these 14 fire departments to ensure that as many people as possible have working smoke alarms in their homes.”

The following fire departments will be receiving alarms from the IFSA:

• Greater Round Lake F.P.D.
• Minooka F.P.D.
• Des Plaines F.D.
• Summit F.D.
• Plainfield F.P.D.
• Grant Park F.P.D.
• Alsip F.D.
• South Holland F.D.
• McCook F.D.
• Westmont F.D.
• Hillside F.D.
• Highland Park F.D.
• Mount Prospect F.D.
• Bartlett F.P.D.

Since 1982, the IFSA has promoted programs and distributed information related to fire safety and burn prevention, while also providing free support programs for burn survivors. Some of those annual no-cost programs include “Camp I Am Me” burn camp for Illinois children ages eight to 16, a Young Adult Summit for burn-injured persons between the ages of 18 and 25, and a Family Day event for families with burn-injured children up to 12 years old.

Visit www.IFSA.org to learn more about preventing burn injuries and how the IFSA helps burn survivors.

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS FIRE SAFETY ALLIANCE: Since 1982, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA), a 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization, has been promoting and disseminating fire safety and burn prevention materials and resources. The IFSA also hosts a variety of support programs for burn survivors including the Young Adult Summit, Family Day, and Camp “I Am Me,” a unique weeklong camp for children who have experienced severe burn injuries. For more information, visit www.IFSA.org.

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