Lack of Fire Escape Planning Can Be Deadly; Majority of Families Do Not Practice Fire Drills in the Home; Photo Available 3/31/2004
From: Emily Lauer, 216-781-2400 or elauer@edwardhoward.com, or Lisa Oney, 614-224-4600 or loney@edwardhoward.com, both for Kidde MEBANE, N.C., March 31 -- Seventy percent of the nation's parents feel their children would know what to do to get out of the house safely in the event of a fire, according to results of the new Kidde National Safety Report(tm). However, mortality statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell another story. One out of four residential fire deaths in the United States between 1991-2000 involved a child under age 15. When combined with recent media reports indicating that children may not always wake up to the sound of smoke alarms, the importance of developing and regularly practicing a fire escape plan becomes crucial. "Even when children awake to an alarm, they can become scared, confused and disoriented by the threat of fire," said Ed LeBlanc, president of Kidde (pronounced "Kidda"), the world's largest manufacturer of fire safety products. "In too many tragic cases, children have died because they hid under beds or in closets and were not discovered until it was too late. Practicing a fire escape plan with children on a regular basis is key to teaching them how to get out of the house in the event of a fire." Research Reveals Need for Planning The Kidde National Safety Report is an ongoing series of national fire and carbon monoxide-related research studies. The latest study was conducted to call attention to the importance of planning and regularly practicing fire escape plans with the entire family, especially young children. According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), someone in the United States dies in a house fire every three hours, amounting to 3,000 deaths each year. The Kidde study found that most families are unprepared to safely escape a fire in their homes. Participants were asked if they had a fire escape plan, a plan of action so everyone knows how to safely exit the house in case of fire, and if so, how frequently they practiced it. For purposes of this study, the term "regularly practice" is defined as performing an activity more than once a year. Results showed that two out of every three families with children under age 18 (62.9 percent) do not regularly practice a fire escape plan. Of individuals with children under age 18 who have a fire escape plan, 28.4 percent say that they have not practiced it in the past year and 32.9 percent responded that they practice it only once a year. Risk of Death by Fire Increases at Night According to the NFPA, the majority of victims (52.4 percent) who die in house fires were sleeping at the time the fires occurred, with most home fire deaths occurring in the early morning hours. Fires reported between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. cause almost half of all fatal fire injuries. Yet when study participants were asked what time of the day they practice their fire escape plan, at best only 33 percent indicated that they practice their escape plan at night while everyone is sleeping. "It is imperative that families, particularly those with children, practice fire escape plans at night when everyone is sleeping," said LeBlanc. "A residential fire that happens in the middle of the night is probably one of the most difficult fire situations one might experience. Smoke, coupled with darkness, makes it difficult to see and can be very scary for anyone, particularly a young child. Knowing how to get out of the house quickly can literally mean the difference between life and death." Bring the Drill Home To reinforce the importance of practicing fire escape plans at home just as is done in schools, Kidde is encouraging parents to Bring the Drill Home, reminding them that repeated practice in each environment and at different times of the day is essential. "Each family should develop and practice an escape plan as part of their comprehensive fire safety plan, " said LeBlanc. "This should include installing and maintaining the correct number of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, placing fire extinguishers within reach throughout the home, knowing how to use fire extinguishers, and having escape ladders available throughout the house." About RoperASW RoperASW is the 77-year-old leader in public opinion and media research. It is a leading provider of world-class market intelligence. The global marketing research and strategic consulting firm has offices across the U.S. and in Europe. It is part of NOP World, a subsidiary of United Business Media. Its weekly OmniTel survey obtains to-the-minute measures among a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults. About Kidde Since 1917, Kidde has earned a trusted reputation as the world's largest manufacturer of fire safety products whose mission is to provide safety solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and its related hazards. Kidde offers a wide range of fire protection products including smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, escape ladders and other accessories. Kidde's products are sold commercially in the industrial and electrical channels as well as in retail outlets such as home improvement, hardware, mass market and other stores. Headquartered in Mebane, N.C., Kidde is a division of Kidde plc, a leading global supplier of fire and safety products, systems and services that service the industrial, commercial, aerospace, combustion control and retail industries. For more information, visit http://www.KiddeUS.com. ------ Editor's note: High resolution, publication-ready graphic(s) supporting this story available for free editorial use at: http://www.wirepix.com/newsphotos/USN |