Regarding fire safety, being prepared is the first line of defense. Having the proper fire safety equipment installed in a home and knowing how to operate it is crucial to help protect individual and their family.
online whole-home safety training course
First Alert and the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) have collaborated on an online whole-home safety training course designed for volunteer fire departments nationwide, complemented by a fire extinguisher donation program for community outreach initiatives.
These efforts coincide with Fire Prevention Month, celebrated throughout October, to raise awareness about fire prevention and whole home safety.
Whole Home Safety
The training includes critical information about the role of smoke, CO, and explosive gas alarms
The online course, Whole Home Safety: Reducing Preventable In-Home Injuries and Deaths through Community Education, prepares fire departments to educate residents on reducing preventable injuries and deaths in the home, with a primary focus on fire and references to other causes of at-home accidental injuries and fatalities.
Participants will learn how to conduct a community risk assessment, develop fire prevention and whole-home safety strategies, and how apply best practices for improving community outreach. The training includes critical information about the role of smoke, carbon monoxide (CO), and explosive gas alarms, along with fire extinguishing devices, play in community risk reduction, and also features information on home escape planning to help reduce tragic outcomes from fire and CO incidents.
Community risk reduction initiatives
Community risk reduction initiatives nationwide aim to improve outcomes in part thanks to properly installed and maintained smoke and CO alarms.
Data show that three out of every five home fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms, according to the National Fire Protection Association.
precautionary measures
“Equipping your home with safety products you can trust and understanding important precautionary measures are integral parts of a home safety plan,” said Ashley Gocken, a home safety expert with First Alert, the most trusted brand in fire safety, now part of Resideo Technologies, Inc.
“We are proud to play a role in supporting the efforts of volunteer firefighters as they share their knowledge about fire safety and risk mitigation.”
320 home fire extinguishers donation
The first eight NVFC members to complete the course will each receive 40 First Alert Home1 Fire Extinguishers
To complement the training, First Alert donated 320 home fire extinguishers to volunteer fire departments to help them immediately impact their communities. The first eight NVFC members to complete the course will each receive 40 First Alert Home1 Fire Extinguishers.
“Having access to this extensive training, along with First Alert’s generous fire extinguisher donation, helps keep fire departments informed on best practices and supplies them with the knowledge to educate their communities,” said NVFC chair Steve Hirsch.
Community Education
“We value our dedicated volunteer firefighters who are committed to keeping residents and their homes safe by reducing preventable injuries and deaths through community education.”
The course is available in the NVFC Virtual Classroom and can be accessed on the website. The course will be free for the first 500 participants, courtesy of First Alert.