Smart Alarm Choices

Smart Alarm Choices

Smart Alarm Choices an online toolkit

This toolkit was created to help fire service leaders with educational materials to promote advanced smoke alarm education among their personnel and community.

Supported by:
Kidde 
Why Was the Program Developed?
Every home needs smoke alarms
More Public Education Videos

Fire experts recommend that smoke alarms are installed on each floor, in hallways and inside of all sleeping areas. Unfortunately, too many homes are not properly protected with enough working smoke alarms, or they are not tested and maintained. That leaves the people who live in the homes at great risk.

There are many challenges with educating the public about smoke alarms. Technology is changing in the smoke alarm industry; media coverage can be confusing with conflicting information about the effectiveness of smoke alarm and widespread budget cuts in fire department public education programs.

This toolkit was developed in conjunction with Kidde and support of the IAFC Fire and Life Safety section. Bookmark this site and check back regularly as resources will continue to be updated.


Featured Resources

TEMPLATE Letter Editor Alarm Replacement
Letter to the Editor template to remind the community the importance of replacing their smoke detectors/alarms.
News Alarm Placement TEMPLATE
News release template to remind the community the importance of alarm placement.
Alarm PSAs
These brief PSA messages can be used to remind community members the importance of alarm placement and replacement.

News

  • January 4, 2019
    At a public-education event, a young Asian boy said to me, “Wow, I didn’t know you could be a firefighter; could I be a firefighter too?” I'll never forget his words; this was the first time he had seen a firefighter who looked like him. read more
  • November 6, 2018
    School visits, department open houses and old messages don’t resonate with average community members. Public apathy is still a real problem. Are we missing the mark on public education? read more
  • October 15, 2018
    In CRR, we make changes to reduce the risk we find among our organizations, business community and citizens. We have many ways to do this, but what we’re looking for is a change of heart and direction, not just a magic pill. read more

Videos/Podcasts

 

Did you know?

  • 75% of all fatal fires occur in a residence.
  • Approximately 2,980 people die in the United States each year as the result of a fire in their home. 
  • Fire fatalities occur in the 40%% of homes that have no alarms, or 17% no working smoke alarms.

Source: (NFPA)

Contact

Derek Bullington
Program Coordinator
International Association of Fire Chiefs
(703) 537-4831
dbullington@iafc.org

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