MEBANE, N.C., Feb. 2, 2017 — When football teams from New England and Atlanta face off against each other this Sunday, there’ll be more than just bragging rights on the line for Boston’s Fire Commissioner/Chief Joseph Finn and Atlanta’s Fire Rescue Chief Joel Baker. In coordination with Kidde Fire Safety, the two chiefs have agreed to participate in a challenge that may help save lives. Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products, is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
The winning city will receive 250 Kidde Worry-Free smoke alarms with a 10-year sealed-in battery to install in at-risk homes in the community. The losing city will receive 100 alarms but the chief must install them wearing the opponent’s jersey.
"With this friendly wager, the public in each city will benefit from receiving smoke alarms from Kidde,” says Boston’s Joseph Finn. “Smoke alarms are proven life-savers that give a needed early warning to the public."
“Every year, we see firsthand that smoke alarms save lives,” says Atlanta’s Joel Baker. “In a fast-moving fire, every second counts. Smoke alarms give occupants that vital early warning to safely evacuate their burning homes.”
Both chiefs understand the importance of properly functioning smoke alarms, especially in winter – the peak time for house fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association, three out of five fire fatalities in the U.S. occur in homes without smoke alarms or working alarms, mainly due to dead or missing batteries.
“An American dies in a home fire nearly every three hours,” says Sharon Cooksey, communications manager, Kidde. “Installing a smoke alarm with a long-life sealed battery provides the warning needed in an emergency and eliminates the hassle of having to replace batteries. It is a simple step that can save lives and Kidde is excited to work with these great cities on this challenge.”
Kidde’s Worry-Free alarms contain a sealed-in battery proven to offer nonstop power for a decade. That means homeowners never have to replace a battery or hear a low-battery chirp for 10 years. For more information, go to www.worryfreealarm.com.