Kidde Joins North Carolina State Fire Officials to Celebrate Annual "Smoke Alarm Saturday"

On Saturday, June 5, North Carolina-based Kidde – a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories – and The Home Depot will join North Carolina Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Causey in celebrating “Smoke Alarm Saturday.” The annual event, held each year on the first Saturday in June, unites fire departments and fire safety partners across North Carolina in raising awareness of the importance of working smoke alarms and quality fire safety education.

The U.S. Fire Administration reports North Carolina has experienced more than 30 home fire deaths to date in 2021. Last year, the North Carolina Office of the State Fire Marshal reported that only three out of five homes in the state were equipped with working smoke alarms, and the state saw more than 100 home fire deaths that year alone. In response, Commissioner Causey sought to help reduce the number of fire deaths within the state through life-saving educational initiatives and resources like Smoke Alarm Saturday in partnership with companies like Kidde and The Home Depot.

In support of Smoke Alarm Saturday, Kidde is also activating its long-standing charitable donation program, Operation Save A Life, a public safety initiative designed to educate consumers on the dangers of fire and CO poisoning. On June 4, the day before Smoke Alarm Saturday, Kidde will donate more than 500 10-year smoke alarms to fire stations throughout the Piedmont Triad region, including High Point, Winston-Salem, Burlington, Jamestown and Mebane in collaboration with The Home Depot. Local fire stations will then distribute and install the alarms within communities in need.

To further support Smoke Alarm Saturday, every The Home Depot store in North Carolina will run a promotion on Kidde i9010 10-year smoke alarms ($14.88; regular price $19.97) from June 4-6.

“Kidde is a leader in the fire safety products industry and we recognize the importance of working in our communities to provide greater access to quality, working smoke alarms to help alert residents in the event of an emergency,” said Stephanie Berzinski, Fire Safety Educator for Kidde. “We are thrilled to support Smoke Alarm Saturday alongside The Home Depot and provide our fellow North Carolinians with the resources they need to stay safe year-round.”

Kidde shares the following advice to help protect North Carolina residents from the dangers of smoke and fire:

• Alarm Placement: Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, including the basement, as well as inside and outside of each sleeping area.
• Alarm Maintenance: Working smoke alarms can reduce the chance of a fatal home fire by 50%. Smoke alarms must be replaced after 10 years; CO alarms should be replaced every 7-10 years, depending on the model. In addition to testing alarms once each week, check the manufacturing date on your smoke and CO alarms to make sure they are under 10 years of age. If they are older than that, it is time to replace them.
• Consider Interconnected Alarms: Interconnected alarms - if one alarm sounds, all alarms throughout the home sound in unison - can help alert individuals to a fire incident more quickly.
• Opt for Alarms with 10-Year Sealed Batteries: Alarms with a 10-year sealed battery smoke alarm eliminates the need for frequent battery replacement, providing a decade of protection for homeowners.
• Fire Escape Planning: People have far less time than they used to have to evacuate a home - 2-3 minutes now, compared to 17-18 minutes 30 years ago - due to the increased prevalence of synthetic-based furnishing materials in modern homes. Always know two ways out of any room and practice your fire escape plan with your whole family - including pets! - at least twice a year.

For more smoke and CO safety tips, visit kidde.com.