The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm Installation Program, administered cooperatively by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has two new corporate partners to help support the distribution of fire safety education materials and 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments in Illinois. Beginning in April 2022, Lowe’s home improvement store and Aurora, Illinois-based First Alert became the major corporate groups to help expand the program to more fire departments in the state.
The Be Alarmed! program provides Illinois-based fire departments with no-cost 10-year battery smoke alarms and fire safety educational materials, which in turn, will be provided to the residents of the respective communities. The program, which launched at the beginning of 2018, was developed to educate Illinois residents on the dangers of fire in the home and how to prevent fires from occurring in the home, as well as to ensure there are working smoke alarms properly installed in homes. Distributing and installing 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms ensures that the power source cannot be removed and, if maintained properly, will last the life of the device.
The program educates residents, young and old, on home fire safety and prevention methods, reduces the number of fire-related injuries, reduces the number of fire-related deaths, and identifies the reasons for non-functioning smoke alarms in the home across the state.
Since the program began in January 2018, 227 Illinois fire departments have joined. 13,847 10-year battery alarms have been installed in 4,726 Illinois homes with 10,687 (5,243 high-risk) residents protected by these new alarms as well as educated on smoke alarms, home fire safety, and home fire escape plans. In total, $419,597 worth of life-saving smoke alarms has been distributed to Illinois fire departments.
Lowe’s is a North Carolina-based retail company specializing in home improvement with approximately 300,000 employees and $100 million invested in communities in 2021. First Alert has been manufacturing home-safety products for more than 60 years and is the most trusted and recognizable safety brand in America.
Both the educational materials and smoke alarms are provided at no-cost as a result of funding from both the IFSA and OSFM. Learn more about the Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm Installation Program.
About the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance: Since 1982, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance (IFSA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has been bringing together persons and groups with common interest in fire safety, burn prevention, and public education, and to promote programs and disseminate information related to fire safety and burn prevention. The IFSA also hosts burn survivor support programs including Camp “I Am Me,” a unique week-long camp for children who have experienced severe burn injuries. Additional information on the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance can be found at www.IFSA.org.