Town/Gown Events Bring Safety Upgrades To Residents Nationwide

The greatest risk to students is in off-campus housing, where most students live. Since 2006, all of the college-related fire deaths have happened off-campus, according to the United States Fire Administration. Of these fatal fires, 58 percent of the student homes had smoke alarms that were either missing or deactivated due to disconnection or battery removal.

As part of the Town/Gown Fire Safety Community Service Project, students across the country will be working alongside fire fighters doing home safety visits and installing smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms donated by First Alert in at-risk communities.

"Collaborative events like these can make a significant impact in improving fire safety for thousands of individuals," said Tarsila Wey, director of marketing for First Alert. "Through our partnership with Campus Firewatch and participating local fire departments and universities, we hope to help ensure the long-term safety and sustainability of college communities."

"By volunteering in our Town/Gown Fire Safety Community Service Project, students will learn fire safety by doing fire safety," said Ed Comeau, founder of Campus Firewatch. "Educating students plays an important role in protecting them and their communities from fires and also teaches the students lessons that they can use throughout their lives."

To ensure the highest level of protection from fire, First Alert recommends following the guidelines set by the USFA and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), which advise that homes have smoke alarms installed inside every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home, including the basement. For CO alarms, homes should have at least one alarm on each level and one in or near every bedroom. According to the NFPA, twice as many people are killed by smoke inhalation as by burns, and smoke can travel quickly throughout a house, far from the fire. By having smoke alarms on every level, you get the early warning that you need to escape a fire.

For a faster exit in the case of a fire, plan an emergency escape route, and practice it at least twice a year. Additionally, most CO alarms should be replaced every five to seven years, and smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years (some new CO alarms are tested to last 10 years). If you don't know how old an alarm is, the safest bet is to replace it immediately.

To learn more about fire safety, visit the First Alert website at www.firstalert.com or the Campus Firewatch website at www.campus-firewatch.com. You also can follow the Town/Gown Fire Safety Community Service Project on Twitter and Facebook via #TownGownFire.

*First Alert Brand Trust Survey, February 2017 – Results are based on the responses of 1,004 adults, ages 18 and older, living in the United States who completed a telephone survey, February 16-19, 2017. Results are accurate to +/- 3 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level and can be generalized to the entire adult population in the United States within those statistical parameters. For more information or a copy of the complete survey and results, contact Tim Young at LCWA: 312/565-4628 or [email protected].

About Campus Firewatch
Campus Firewatch is a social entrepreneurship focused on helping to save lives at our nation's campuses. For more information, visit http://www.campus-firewatch.com. Facebook | @campusfirewatch

About BRK Brands, Inc.
BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Newell Brands. For over 50 years, BRK Brands, Inc. has been the manufacturer of First Alert^®-branded home-safety products, the most trusted and recognized safety brand in America. BRK^® Brands designs and develops innovative safety solutions including Tundra^™ Fire Extinguishing Spray, Onelink by First Alert smart home products, a comprehensive line of smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and escape ladders to protect what matters most.  Such products are also marketed under the BRK Electronics^® brand, The Professional Standard for the builder and contractor audiences.  BRK Brands, Inc. products are found in more than 30 countries worldwide.  For more information, visit http://www.firstalert.com, http://www.brkelectronics.com or http://www.newellbrands.com.

About Newell Brands
Newell Brands (NYSE: NWL) is a leading global consumer goods company with a strong portfolio of well-known brands, including Paper Mate®, Sharpie®, Dymo®, EXPO®, Parker®, Elmer's®, Coleman®, Jostens®, Marmot®, Rawlings®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, Waddington and Yankee Candle®. For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play.

This press release and additional information about Newell Brands are available on the company's website, http://www.newellbrands.com.

©2017 BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504. All rights reserved.
First Alert^® is a registered trademark of The First Alert Trust, Aurora, IL 60504.
BRK Electronics^® is a registered trademark of BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504.
NYSE is a registered service mark of NYSE Group, Inc.

SOURCE First Alert

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