Milwaukee, WI - The Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) has received a donation of 250 Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms from First Alert®, the leader in home-safety products. The alarms will be distributed during FOCUS (Firefighters out Creating Urban Safety), a program in which fire companies go into areas of the city where the fire loss rate is abnormally high and conduct a door-to-door campaign to promote fire safety awareness and proper use of smoke detectors. During FOCUS, Oct. 13 - Oct. 31, firefighters will also distribute smoke detectors and batteries to residents at no cost.
“The department is excited that during this FOCUS effort we can provide residents in need with a smoke detector and a Carbon Monoxide alarm,” said Lt. Brian Smith, director of community relations for the MFD. “We believe this is a generous donation from First Alert and it helps protect some of our Milwaukee residents from CO poisoning. While having a working smoke detector is the most important item to have in your home, having a CO alarm is next when it comes to protecting yourself and your family.”
Often referred to as the silent killer because you can’t see, smell or taste it, CO is the leading cause of accidental poisoning in the United States, killing 500 people each year and sending more than 15,000 people to emergency rooms.1 CO is a by-product of incomplete combustion that can be produced by stoves, water heaters, fireplaces, cars, gas grills and a number of other appliances used in homes. Exposure to CO produces flu-like symptoms such as nausea, dizzy spells, fatigue and vomiting.
“We’re proud to be a part of this donation and our educational campaign with our friends in fire service,” said Deborah Hanson, BRK Brands®/First Alert director of external affairs. “We are confident that these alarms and education campaign will have a meaningful and positive impact by helping local residents understand how to protect themselves from CO.”
The First Alert donation to the MFD comes shortly after a new Wisconsin Carbon Monoxide law took effect Oct. 1 requiring CO alarms to be installed in most new residential buildings with fuel-burning appliances.
About First Alert
BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (Rye, NY) NYSE:JAH, a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. For 50 years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First Alert®-branded home-safety products, the most trusted and recognized safety brands in America. BRKÒ Brands designs and develops innovative safety solutions including TundraÒ Fire Extinguishing Spray, ONELINKÒ wireless alarms and 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 , or http://www.jarden.com.
Milwaukee Fire Department
The Milwaukee Fire Department (MFD) is the primary fire suppression, prevention, rescue and emergency medical service for the City of Milwaukee. The department’s motto is “Courage, Integrity and Honor.” MFD consists of approximately 1000 firefighters, many of which serve simultaneously as paramedics providing emergency medical services. MFD is known as one of the best fire departments nationwide for its response times and other quality services.