GENEVA — It’s a donation that could save lives.
The Geneva Fire Department announced last week it has received 200 10-year battery-powered smoke alarms and 200 10-year battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms with digital displays from Kidde Home Safety. The donation represents a retail value of $16,988.
GFD said this is the second donation awarded by Kidde in the past few years. The last was a donation of 500 smoke detectors that have been installed throughout the city.
The Fire Department said it will give out the alarms when firefighters encounter a residence that has a missing, defective, expired or non-functioning smoke or carbon monoxide alarm. The distributions will happen during emergency responses, fire-prevention activities, home-safety visits, or other situations in which department personnel identify an immediate safety concern.
“Our goal is to make sure that we do not leave a resident without a basic level of protection when we identify an immediate hazard,” Fire Chief Del Parrotta said. “A working smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm can provide the early warning needed to save lives. This donation gives our firefighters an important resource to address an urgent safety need while they are already in the home.”
According to the department, the alarms are intended primarily for emergency and short-term safety intervention, particularly for residents who may not have the immediate ability or resources to obtain a replacement.
When an alarm is installed, residents and property owners may be advised that they are responsible for ensuring the residence continues to meet all applicable fire and property maintenance requirements. The department said it will use the donated alarms “responsibly and prioritize situations involving an immediate lack of protection or a demonstrated community need.”
Deputy Fire Chief Mike Bucklin spearheaded the development of the program as part of his responsibilities overseeing the Fire Prevention and Public Education Division. Those efforts included identifying the community need, pursuing the donation opportunity, and developing a practical means of placing the alarms into service where they can provide the greatest immediate benefit.
“The generosity of Kidde will allow us to immediately correct dangerous situations that our personnel encounter in the field,” Bucklin said. “Instead of identifying that a family has no working alarm and leaving them unprotected, we will now have the ability to provide an immediate layer of safety.”
The department reminds residents that smoke alarms should be installed on every level of the home, inside sleeping rooms, and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms should also be installed in accordance with manufacturer instructions and applicable safety requirements, they added. Additionally, all alarms should be tested regularly and replaced when they reach the end of their recommended service life.
Questions regarding alarm placement, testing, or residential fire safety may be directed to the Fire Department at 315-789-6305.
“The City of Geneva and the Geneva Fire Department thank Kidde for its investment in community safety and for supporting the department’s mission to protect lives and property,” the department said.