State and Local Fire Officials Highlight Fire Prevention Week and a No-Cost Smoke Alarm Installation

Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half, 54%

Sept. 25, 2024 (Peoria, Ill.) State and local fire safety experts gathered at the Peoria Fire Department today to raise awareness about the importance of working smoke alarms in their homes and to highlight a no-cost smoke alarm installation program in place for Peoria residents.

"The OSFM is committed to helping make communities safer by providing resources to local fire departments and encouraging them to engage their community members through the "Be Alarmed!" or similar fire prevention programs," said Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. "Sadly, in 2023 there were 89 residential fire deaths in Illinois with the majority of these deaths occurring in homes without working smoke detectors. "It's simple, working smoke alarms save lives!'

"Nothing is more heartbreaking than to respond to a fatal fire and find non-working or the lack of smoke alarms in the home. While the number of fire deaths may have decreased in the past few decades, you are more likely to die in a residential fire than you were years ago because of smoke inhalation - which is why escape time is so critical," said Peoria Fire Chief Shawn Sollberger. "We encourage all residents to actively support the 2024 Fire Prevention Week theme, 'Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!' Working smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, giving people the time to get out safely."

According to the National Fire Protection Association, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half, 54%. Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

"We are committed to helping protect the residents of Peoria by ensuring they have working smoke alarms in their homes and making sure they understand the importance of having a fire safety escape plan that meets all needs of their entire family," saidDivision Chief of Fire Prevention Nate Rice.

The Peoria Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level of the home.
• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button.
• Replace all broken or expired smoke alarms 10 years old or older.

"The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm installation program aims to protect and educate residents across the entire state of Illinois while reducing residential fire deaths and injuries," said Philip Zaleski, Executive Director of Camp I Am Me by Illinois Fire Safety Alliance. "The partnerships we have built between us, the OSFM, and the 305 Illinois fire departments participating in this program have led to more than 35,000 smoke alarms being distributed to protect Illinois residents. We are proud to highlight the Peoria Fire Department and their efforts with this program as they have installed more than 600 alarms in 263 households since joining the program."

Camp I Am Me is also excited to announce the receipt of a grant to further support the Be Alarmed! program through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Assistance (FEMA) to Firefighter Grant program. The $299,000 grant will enable the program to purchase 16,000 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms and nearly 400 bed shaker smoke alarm aids for hard-of-hearing and deaf residents.

"Be Alarmed!" is a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered cooperatively between Camp I Am Me (CIAM) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM). The program distributes fire safety education materials and 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments in Illinois. The fire departments then deliver the education while installing smoke alarms in at-risk homes within their communities. The educational materials and smoke alarms are provided at no cost as a result of funding from both the CIAM and OSFM.

To learn more about the program, visit: https://www.ifsa.org/prevention-resources/smoke-alarm/.

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