Fire Chiefs Create “Super Safety Challenge” for the Big Game

MEBANE, N.C. – When the football teams from New England and Seattle face each other Sunday, Feb. 1, each city’s fire chief will watch the game for more than bragging rights. Boston Fire Commissioner/Chief Joseph Finn and Seattle Interim Fire Chief Michael E. Walsh in coordination with Kidde Fire Safety, have agreed to a safety challenge that may help save lives. Kidde is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The chief of the winning team’s city will receive 200 Kidde Worry-Free 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to install in homes in need throughout the city. The losing city’s chief will receive 100 of the same alarms and must install them wearing the other team’s jersey.

“With this friendly wager, the public in each city will benefit from receiving smoke alarms from Kidde,” said Boston’s Finn. “Smoke alarms are proven life-savers that give a needed early warning to the public.”

“Every year, we see first-hand that smoke detectors save lives,” said Seattle’s Walsh. “In a fast-moving fire, every second counts. Smoke detectors give occupants that vital early warning to safely evacuate their burning homes.”

Both chiefs understand the importance of properly functioning smoke alarms, especially in the winter — the peak time for house fires. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three out of five fire fatalities in the U.S. occur in homes without smoke alarms or without working alarms, mainly due to dead or missing batteries.

“An American dies in a home fire nearly every three hours,” said Chris Rovenstine, vice president of marketing and sales, Kidde. “Installing a smoke alarm with a long-life sealed battery provides the warning needed in an emergency and eliminates the hassle of having to replace batteries. It is a simple step that can save lives and Kidde is excited to work with these great cities on this challenge.”

Kidde’s Worry-Free alarms contain a sealed-in lithium battery proven to offer nonstop power for a decade. That means homeowners never have to replace a battery or hear a low-battery chirp for 10 years. For more information, go to www.worryfreealarm.com.

About Kidde
Kidde is a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and fire extinguishers, and has been delivering advanced fire-safety technology since it produced the first integrated smoke detection and carbon dioxide extinguishing system more than 90 years ago. Kidde is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kidde.com or follow @KiddeSafety on Twitter.