Home fires take a terrible toll – about 2,500 American lives lost every year.
And what compounds the tragedy is this: More than half of all those lives lost to fires in homes could easily be saved with a simple, inexpensive device – provided it works.
This fall, for the 28th consecutive year, Energizer and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) will partner to educate the public about fire safety and encourage people to adopt life-saving habits through the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® program.
The absence of smoke alarms is no longer a major issue in the United States, as 95 percent of homes now have at least one. Today, the more critical issue is keeping these smoke alarms working. In fact, the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) reports that three out of five fatal fire injuries take place in homes without working smoke alarms, and 71 percent of smoke alarms that failed to operate had missing, disconnected or dead batteries.
For 28 years, the Change Your Clock, Change Your Battery program has been dedicated to sharing the important reminder to replace the batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors when you change your clocks for Daylight Saving Time on November 1, 2015.
“When people fail to keep their smoke alarms functional, they risk their lives and those of their families for no reason,” said Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr, President and Chairman of the Board of the IAFC. “Many fire departments across the country offer smoke alarm programs and can provide assistance. There is absolutely no reason why every home should not be protected by working smoke alarms.”
A working smoke alarm can make the difference in giving you the critical extra seconds to make a safe escape from a fire. Energizer research has revealed a deadly overconfidence among people about their chances for detecting and escaping from a fire. Thirty percent think they or other family members can detect a fire, and more than 70 percent of individuals think their family would have enough time to evacuate if one broke out.
Contrary to popular belief, home fires are often not readily detectible, and often don’t give families much time to escape. In fact, 20 percent of reported home fires occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., and cause half of all home fire deaths. Furthermore, 36 percent of fatal fire victims don’t wake up before being injured.*
“At Energizer, we believe that fire safety education and proactive prevention can minimize fire tragedies,” said Michelle Atkinson, the company’s chief consumer officer. “Our partnership with the IAFC in Change Your Clock Change Your Battery is our way of contributing to that education and prevention.”
The Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program is just one of the ways Energizer brings to life the company’s commitment to power safety and responsibility, while having a constructive impact in communities across the country. In support of the program, Energizer is donating 125,000 batteries this fall to fire departments across the country to distribute to residents and families in their communities. Over the program’s 28-year history, Energizer has donated more than five million batteries to communities in need in an effort to save lives.
For more information on the program and to download fire safety materials, please visit www.Energizer.com.
