Prairie State Wire

State and local fire safety officials gathered at the Carbondale Fire Department to emphasize the importance of working smoke alarms and promote a no-cost installation program for Carbondale residents. The initiative aims to reduce residential fire deaths, which claimed 89 lives in Illinois in 2023, mostly in homes without functional smoke detectors.

"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," stated Illinois State Fire Marshal James A. Rivera. He emphasized that "working smoke alarms save lives."

Carbondale Fire Chief Robert Miller expressed concern over fatalities resulting from non-working or absent smoke alarms, stating, "Nothing is more heartbreaking than to respond to a fatal fire and find non-working or the lack of smoke alarms in the home." He encouraged support for the 2024 Fire Prevention Week theme: ‘Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!’

The National Fire Protection Association reports that smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by over half. However, three out of five fire deaths occur in homes lacking operational smoke alarms.

Chief Miller reaffirmed their commitment to protecting Carbondale residents by ensuring they have working smoke alarms and a comprehensive escape plan. The department provided guidelines on installing and maintaining smoke alarms, emphasizing testing them monthly and replacing units older than ten years.

Philip Zaleski, Executive Director of Camp I Am Me by Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, highlighted the impact of the "Be Alarmed!" program across Illinois. Partnerships with OSFM and 305 state fire departments have led to distributing over 35,000 smoke alarms.

A recent grant from FEMA's Assistance to Firefighter Grant program will further bolster these efforts with $299,000 allocated for additional equipment aimed at aiding hard-of-hearing residents.

"Be Alarmed!" is managed collaboratively between Camp I Am Me (CIAM) and OSFM, providing educational materials and long-lasting battery-operated smoke alarms at no cost through funding from CIAM and OSFM.

For more information about this initiative, visit https://www.ifsa.org/prevention-resources/smoke-alarm/.