Detectors

[Firediver]

Does anyone out there have any info on setting up a detector distribution. Do insurance co.'s donate them or any other info.

Thanks,

[LadyCapn]

FIrediver,

There are many different ways you can do a smoke alarm program. All depends on how much money you have and what group you wish to target.

The more you can get donated the better!!!!! Appproach insurance companies, large hardware stores etc, but you want batteries as well as alarms if you can swing it. Have a business plan, do some research, and tell them how many homes on average don't have working smoke alarms, how many elderly and children die per year etc. If you have the information available, do a risk assessment for your area. See where your fires are occuring. If the majority of them are within family dwellings then you have a great concern. Make up a survey to be carried on your trucks. When you responded to this call was there a working smoke alarm in the residence.........yes or no.....etc. When you have this information you can go to these companies with facts, not just, gee we would like to, or wouldn't it be nice to etc.

Who do you want to target? Anyone within the community? Seniors? Low income? How are you going to get them in the homes? Neighbourhood blitzes? Carrying alarms and batteries in all front line trucks and installing/replacing them as need arises? Acting on a referral system? Will your department or municipality require a waiver signed when it is installed? You may want to get some legal advice there.

A smoke alarm program is a wonderful thing, but takes some planning and careful preparation. A lot of work, but definately worth it if it saves just one life.

Good luck

[Bootsatcfd]

We have received some funding for our program from insurance companies.We targeted two major groups in our area, the old and the young. We mainly talked to civic groups and other organizations that are involved with these age groups and asked them for funding. We have also asked local businesses to help out and most have.Get in touch with local media and ask them to help promote your program. Pick a high risk area first then grow from there. We now provide and install detector to anyone who request one except to rental property because state law requires the owner to provide working detectors to their renters. As mentioned above think about long term - up keep.Batteries are expensive and you will go through alot of them. We are replacing detectors that are over ten years old with new ones. We have atleast one comfirmed life save due to our program. Good luck with your program..

[MOBrian]

Have you tried contacting NFPA to see if they have information for you to use. Besided contacting your insurance companies in the area, why not the Home Depots, or Lowes or other big box warehouse style buildings. They love those tax breaks. Like the other say, you need to get publicity and push it as a serious problem. A detector with out a home is just a pile of formed plastic. It is absolutely useless. So keep up the work, I do know of a fire department that was working to promote smoke detectors as a way to save the lives of fireman. If smoke detectors are in homes, typically the fire is recognized earlier and occupants are evacuated. There were some fire fighters that died in a house fire without smoke detectors and they felt if the house had working smoke detectors the fire fighters would not have lost their lives. If you want more infor let me know and I will see what I can dig up for you.

MIKE

[Mtetreault]

I would think it might be good PR for a firefighters Union to donate detectors?

[ALSfirefighter]

Firedriver,

Allstate is usually pretty good at donating literature, videos and such. I'm not completely sure about detectors though. One thing you will want to check is your liability issues with your dept/municpality attorney. In the event that a detector you donate to citizens or such fails. Can you be found liable being that you gave and/or installed the detector. I know it may sound a little overkill but better to ask then find out.

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The above is my opinion only and doesn't reflect that of any dept/agency I work for, deal with, or am a member of.

[dragonfyre]

ALSfirefighter: Unfortunately it doesn't matter whether you can be proven liable for a donated detector malfuntioning. You can and will be sued by some greedy lawyer who saw the homeowner on TV saying how the firefighters gave them a bad detector.

Then you have to spend your money defending yourself whether it gets to court or not. Not to mention the time needed for depositions, etc.

It's really bad that we have to think that way, that by doing something nice for someone we can be sued. What do you call a sunken submarine full of lawyers? A good start!

[Li_Ou]

In response to your question concerning smoke detector distribution, our department provides free smoke detectors to any HOMEOWNER that asks. The fire department buys the smoke detectors through a line item under the Education Fund. (However, I am not sure where the actual money comes from, though. Please let me know if you would like me to find out if the money is donated or if it comes from some other source.)

The front-line apparatus carry and distribute the smoke detectors. Our logistics division restocks the companies with new supplies and holds the extras. Another part of the program is assisting residents with batteries for otherwise functional smoke detectors.

Our Carbon Monoxide detector program is operated through the county agency. For CO detectors homeowners must qualify and the basis is mostly income related due to the fact that the purchasing money is through a grant. As with the smoke detectors the CO detectors are distributed by city fire department personnel.

I hope this helps.

Leo