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First Alert Joins with the Washington State Fire Protection Policy Board to Protect Residents From Carbon Monoxide in the Home


Prevention is Key in January and February, Leading Months for Carbon Monoxide Emergencies

Olympia, Wash. (Feb. 8, 2008) • In an effort to help protect Washington residents from carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, the Washington State Fire Protection Policy Board and First Alert® have joined forces to donate 500 CO alarms to residents who might otherwise be unable to afford them.

As part of a statewide home safety education effort, First Alert has donated 500 CO alarms to the Fire Protection Policy Board. The alarms will be distributed by the State Fire Marshal’s Office to the nine Life Safety Councils, which are comprised of fire departments within designated regions of the state and provide residents with fire and life safety prevention programs.

In November, First Alert donated 200 CO alarms and Spanish language home safety brochures to the Royal City District 10 Fire Department following the tragic CO incident that killed three Grant County siblings and injured two additional children. The Royal City Fire Department will distribute the alarms to area residents, many of which are non-English speaking agricultural workers, who could not afford them or may not have known about the dangers of CO due to a language barrier. “The best way families can protect themselves against this odorless gas is to install carbon monoxide alarms,” said Washington State Fire Marshal Mike Matlick.

“Following the heartbreaking loss of three children in Grant County, we urge local residents not to wait to install a life-saving carbon monoxide alarm, and we thank First Alert for this generous donation,” said Washington State Fire Protection Policy Board Chair T.J. Nedrow.

Carbon monoxide incidents spike 18 percent
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fire departments responded to an estimated 61,000 CO incidents in 2005, an 18 percent increase from 2003. Nearly 90 percent of those CO incidents occurred in homes. December, January and February are the leading months for CO emergencies due to storm-related power outages and the improper use of supplemental or alternative heating sources. The following safety tips will help residents avoid CO and other dangers associated with power outages and changes in seasonal temperatures:

1. Never run a generator indoors or in a poorly ventilated area, such as a garage or porch, and use the appropriate-size power cords to carry the electric load.
2. Install one battery-operated CO alarm (or AC-powered alarm with battery backup) on every level of the home and one in each sleeping area.
3. Ensure that CO alarms have working batteries installed.
4. Never burn charcoal or other outdoor cooking appliances indoors or in the garage.
5. Inspect and clean any soot and debris, such as bird nests and paper, out of the chimneys, flues and stacks.

Carbon monoxide can come from any malfunctioning, fossil fuel-burning appliance, such as a furnace, water heater, gas oven or range, blocked flue or vent or a car left running in an attached garage. It is a byproduct of incomplete combustion of wood, coal, charcoal, gasoline, kerosene, natural gas or oil. Following an extended power outage, CO poisoning is often the result of residents using alternative forms of heat such as charcoal grills in the home and generators in an enclosed space.

Carbon monoxide is dangerous because it robs blood of oxygen, suffocating the person from the inside out in as little as 15 minutes. Nationwide research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals 500 people die and an additional 15,000 Americans get sick from accidental, non-fire related exposure to CO every year.

“We are proud to partner with the Fire Protection Policy Board in this effort to help protect Washingtonians from carbon monoxide poisoning,” said Debbie Hanson, director of external affairs for BRK Brands/First Alert. “We hope this alarm donation will help make an immediate impact in communities across the state.”

To learn more about protecting your family from carbon monoxide and other home hazards, visit www.firstalert.com or www.wa.gov/wsp/fire/firemars.htm.

BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (Rye, NY) NYSE:JAH, a leading provider of niche consumer products used in and around the home. For nearly 40 years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First Alert®-branded home-safety products including smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and escape ladders. Such products are also manufactured and marketed under the BRK Electronics® brand for the builder and contractor audiences. BRK Brands, Inc. products are found in more than 30 countries worldwide. For more information, visit
www.firstalert.com, www.brkelectronics.com or www.jarden.com.

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