December 17th, 2004 - Michigan:
Fire Safety expert Michael McLeieer, President & Founder of E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. says "a working smoke alarm doubles your chance of surviving a house fire.  It's your first line of defense in case of a fire."  The holiday season is a high-risk time for home fires, which is why WOOD TV8, WOTV 4, Farm Bureau Insurance, Rescue One Fire Safety for Kids, E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. and several area fire stations in West Michigan are trying to get free smoke alarms to homowners who need them.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, roughly seventy percent (70%) of home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or smoke alarms that aren’t working.  On Friday, December 17, WOOD TV8  and several other community partners teamed up with three area West Michigan fire departments to get free smoke alarms to families who can’t otherwise get them.  Starting at noon, we distributed almost 2,000 free smoke alarms provided by Farm Bureau Insurance & Rescue One.

The smoke alarms were available in Wyoming at Fire Station One, located on Burton at Burlingame.  In Muskegon County, they were distributed at the Muskegon Heights Fire Department on Baker Street near Broadway.  And in Ionia, the Department of Public Safety on East Adams was the distribution site.  Up to two smoke alarms were given to families who did not already have smoke alarms in their homes and had no other way of getting them.  Fire and safety officials from area fire departments, Rescue One or E.S.C.A.P.E., Inc. were at each site to answer questions about installing the smoke alarms.

Smoke alarms were also distributed by 24 Hour News 8 Anchors Suzanne Geha & Tom Van Howe as well as Director of Community Affairs Eva Aguirre-Cooper at the Wyoming Fire Station, by Gerry Barnaby, who was at the Muskegon Heights Fire Department and and by Maranda & Rescue One who were in Ionia.

Below are some pictures from the Wyoming Smoke Alarm Giveaway.

                        Suzanne Geha                              Marie McLeieer from E.S.C.A.P.E. & Eva

October 30th & 31st, 2004 - Michigan:
An event this weekend was aimed at arming West Michigan families with the equipment and knowledge to stay safe from fire this fall.  October is Fire Safety Month and as it came to a close, we held an event to help individuals learn more about keeping their family safe.  When you’re protecting your home from the possibility of fire, keep this in mind.  Most fire deaths in homes occur at night and many fire officials believe your best defense against this is a working smoke alarm.  

Put smoke alarms on the top of your holiday gift-giving list this year.  Many homes do not have enough smoke alarms inside.  Experts recommend putting one inside each bedroom and having smoke alarms on every floor of the house including the attic.  

Safety tips, home equipment and more information was available at the family Fire Safety Days in Portage this weekend.  Rescue One and E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc., will be distributing information, taking kids on fire truck tours, demonstrating how to get out alive in the smoke trailer, and handing out free smoke alarms while supplies last.

E.S.C.A.P.E. stands for Education Showing Children Awareness and Procedures for Evacuations.  It was the coordinator of this event and is a non-profit community agency that works full time to educate children and families about fire prevention and safety, as well as CPR and first aid.

Thanks to our community partners Lowe's Home Improvement Center, WOOD TV 8, WOTV 4, Energizer Battery Company, McDonald's, and Rescue One Fire Safety for Kids, we distributed over 300 free smoke alarms & over 200 90-volt batteries, as well as coloring books, Pizza Hut bookmarks, fire safety stickers, and fire hats for the children.  We also shared other life saving information with the adults who attended.

Where to install smoke alarms: 
 

• At least one smoke alarm per floor. 
• One smoke alarm in the middle of living room ceiling. 
• Never put a smoke alarm in the kitchen (this is the cause of the most false alarms).
• Put one in each bedroom, on the ceiling centered above the door and 18" inside the bedroom. 
• Do not put smoke alarms on suspended ceilings. Put them six inches down on the wall instead.

• Test & clearn smoke alarm monthly.
• Change batteries at least twice a year.  Doing this when you change the time on your clocks in the spring and the fall is good opportunity.

• Place a CO detector where CO is produced, such as inside the room housing your furnace and water heater. 
• One CO detector on each floor including basement and sleeping areas. 
• Check detectors monthly. 
• Change batteries at least twice a year.

To minimize your chance of CO poisoning:
 

• Have your furnace checked annually.
• Make sure heating and cooling company is licensed 
• Ask landlord for proof of inspection 
• Have at least one detector in your home 
• One per floor recommended

• Headache, fatigue 
• Shortness of breath 
• Nausea, dizziness 
• No fever 
• Feel bad at home, better at work 
• Animals try to get out of home