Kidde Teams Up With California Fire Safety Experts To Protect Families During Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week

Sacramento and LA County Fire Department to Install a Total of 900 CO Alarms

MEBANE, NC, November 14, 2007— Kidde, a leading fire safety product manufacturer, joined with leading fire safety officials in Los Angeles and Sacramento to remind families about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) during California’s first annual Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week. 

At two press events, Kidde announced a donation of 900 CO alarms to help protect California families from the dangers of carbon monoxide. 

The first donation took place at the Los Angeles County Fire Department Headquarters on November 13th, where Kidde donated 350 carbon monoxide alarms to SAFE Kids Los Angeles.  The alarms will be distributed to families throughout the greater Los Angeles County area by the LA County Fire Department.  An additional 100 alarms will be distributed via Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

A second donation took place on November 14th at Engine One in Sacramento.  Firefighters were on hand to receive 450 CO alarms, which will be distributed to local community groups.  Chief Tonya Hoover, Assistant State Fire Marshal, was present to speak on the dangers of carbon monoxide, along with other health and safety experts.

“Kidde is proud to donate these alarms to help protect families throughout California,” said Chris Rovenstine, vice president of marketing for Kidde, Residential and Commercial.  “Carbon monoxide is odorless, tasteless and invisible.  The only safe way to detect it in a home is with a working CO alarm.”

Passed by California legislature this September, CO Awareness Week encourages all schools, fire departments, and other organizations to do their part to educate families about this deadly threat.  

“Carbon monoxide poisoning isn’t something that families often think about, yet as firefighters, we see firsthand how lethal it can be,” said Jim Doucette, public information officer of the Sacramento Fire Department.  “Every year, we respond to poisonings, especially when the weather gets colder.  CO Awareness Week is a great time for us to educate families about this silent killer.”

Carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America, according to the Centers for Disease Control.  Health records show that from 1999 to 2004, there were 210 accidental fatal CO poisonings in California.  Additionally, the California Air Resources Board states that each year, unintentional CO poisoning causes on average between 175 and 700 avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and between hundreds and thousands of avoidable illnesses across the state. “It’s important to recognize the lethality of CO exposure,” said James DeCarli, SAFE Kids Los Angeles and the LA County Department of Public Health.  “Carbon monoxide poisoning fatalities are at least two to three times greater than hospitalizations, illustrating how severe exposure can be.  We need to do all we can to educate families about how to protect themselves and getting alarms into families’ hands is a great start.”

Created by fire, carbon monoxide is emitted by common fuel-burning household appliances such as a furnace, water heater, fireplace, and stove.  Additional sources may include improperly ventilated generators, space heaters, fireplaces, barbecue grills, and car exhaust. According to data from the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 74 percent of California housing use some form of fossil fuel-burning heating such as gas, fuel oil, or kerosene.  If those heating sources malfunction, CO can quickly build up and poison those inside. 

To learn more about how carbon monoxide risks and safety tips, or for additional information on CO Awareness Week, visit www.knowaboutco.com.

About Kidde
As the world’s largest fire safety manufacturer, Kidde’s mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and its related hazards. For 90 years, Kidde’s residential and commercial division has offered superior fire safety technology in its smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and other life-safety products.  Based in Mebane, N.C., Kidde is part of UTC Fire & Security, a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX).  UTC Fire & Security is a leading global supplier of fire safety and security services, serving government, industrial, commercial and retail industries. For more information, visit www.kidde.com.

About SAFE Kids Los Angeles
SAFE Kids Los Angeles is a chapter of SAFE Kids Worldwide, the first and only nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional injury – the number one killer of children ages 14 and under.  The Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center (LAC+ USC) is the lead agency for SAFE Kids Los Angeles, a coalition that has a membership of approximately 40 agencies, including but not limited to:  LA County Fire Department; LA County Parks and Recreation; LA County Department of Public Health, Injury & Violence Prevention Program; LA Unified School District; State of California, Department of Insurance; and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.

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