HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
MEDIA ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NOVEMBER 3, 2009
Firefighters Canvass SW Houston Apartments
WHAT: Houston Firefighters will canvass a southwest Houston apartment complex and distribute batteries provided by Energizer to ensure the residents have working smoke detectors.
WHEN: Tomorrow, November 3, 2009 starting at 10 a.m.
WHERE: Greenhouse Patio Apartments, 6363 W. Airport at Fondren
DETAILS: When citizens changed their clocks this weekend, did they change the batteries in their smoke detectors?
The Houston Fire Department wants to remind residents to make another change that could save their lives – changing the batteries in their smoke detectors.
An average of three children a day die in home fires and 82 percent of these occur in homes without working smoke detectors. Non-working smoke detectors rob residents of the protective benefits home fire safety devices were designed to provide. The most commonly cited cause of non-working smoke detectors is worn or missing batteries.
Changing smoke detector batteries at least once a year is one of the simplest, most effective ways to reduce these tragic deaths and injuries. In fact, working smoke alarms nearly cut in half the risk of dying in a home fire. Additionally, the International Association of Fire Chiefs recommends replacing your smoke detector every ten years.
To save lives and prevent needless injures in Houston, the Houston Fire Department has joined forces with the International Association of Fire Chiefs and Energizer brand Batteries.
“Working smoke detectors provide an early warning and critical extra seconds to escape,” said Fire Chief Phil Boriskie. “ This is particularly important for those most at risk of dying in a home fire, such as children and seniors.”
