For Immediate Release: 10/9/2015 2:34 pm
Worcester, MA (October 9, 2015) - Regretfully, this past year Worcester has experienced two fatal residential fires which have resulted in the loss of three civilian lives after nearly four years without a home fire death. In an effort to continue the work of the Worcester Fire Department Community Risk Reduction Team to reduce the risk of house fires across the community, Worcester fire officials and local leaders will discuss the topic of fire safety and their plan to distribute these donated smoke alarms to the City's most at-risk residents.
This group of community leaders will gather at 5:00 PM Tuesday, October 13th, 76 Paine Street, Worcester, to discuss the importance of working smoke alarms along with other safety measures that can save lives and reduce the risks that both civilians and firefighters face.
Mayor Joseph Petty, City Manager Ed Augustus, Fire Chief Geoff Gardell, WFD Lieutenant Annmarie Pickett, representatives from the American Red Cross, along with Neal Zipser, Community Affairs Manager at Kidde Fire Safety, will outline efforts the WFD's Community Risk Reduction Team is taking to help improve residential fire safety and discuss how Worcester residents can minimize their overall safety risk.
Following this brief speaking program, there will be a client testimonial about the City's smoke alarm installation program and a photo opportunity. Later in the week, Lt. Pickett and a team will conduct neighborhood educational sweeps to distribute donated smoke alarms and perform home safety inspections.
Kidde Fire Safety, a global leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products, has donated 150 of its Worry Free smoke alarms and 50 Worry Free carbon monoxide (CO) alarms. Both alarms contain sealed batteries which offer nonstop power for 10 years.
About 3,000 people in the United States die each year as a result of residential fires. Most of these fatal fires occur in homes which have no alarms present, or often, a disabled or non-functioning alarm. Every three to four hours a civilian will die from fire in the United States; most of these fires occur in the middle of the night, in your home, a place you should be safe. Sadly, dead or missing batteries are a leading cause of smoke alarms that do not work during a fire. Working smoke alarms and a practiced home escape plan will more than double your chances of surviving a fire in your home.
In 2014, 43 people died in Massachusetts as a result of residential fires. Disappointedly thus far in 2015 54 Massachusetts residents have died as a result of a home fire. (Source: United States Fire Administration fire fatalities report).
