AURORA, Ill., March 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While spending more time at home, it's critical that you take the necessary steps to make sure your family is ready for the unexpected in the event a home fire or carbon monoxide (CO) leak occurs. You might be surprised to learn that CO poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the United States each year and, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), three out of five fire deaths occur in homes without working smoke alarms. First Alert, the most trusted brand in fire safety*, offers the following tips and tools to help make sure your family and home are prepared.

To help ensure the highest level of protection, the NFPA recommends installing alarms on every level of the home, inside every bedroom and outside each sleeping area. Even if you have smoke and CO alarms in your home, you and your family may not be sufficiently protected if you don't have enough devices throughout your entire home.

"In a time where so many Americans are home, we are reminding them to enhance their home's safety by having working alarms on every level, and in every bedroom," said Tarsila Wey, director of marketing for First Alert.

In addition to installing alarms, proper alarm placement, regular maintenance and replacement is essential to protecting your family and your home. Even though testing your alarms is as simple as pressing a button and waiting for the beep, a First Alert survey showed that more than 60% of consumers do not test their smoke and CO alarms monthly**. Test alarms regularly, change the batteries every six months if battery-powered and be sure all alarms have a battery backup if hardwired, for protection during a power outage. To eliminate battery replacements for a decade, upgrade to 10-year sealed battery alarms to make battery replacements a thing of the past. Also, if you can't remember the last time you installed an alarm, chances are, it's time to replace it. Alarms are on duty 24/7 and need to be replaced at least every 10 years.

While many homeowners know the importance of protecting their home from the threats of smoke and fire, studies show that fewer households are equipped with CO alarms. CO is responsible for an average of 450 deaths each year, CO is an invisible, odorless gas that is impossible to detect without an alarm. For ultimate home safety, install combination alarms for 2-in-1 protection, such as the First Alert Combination Smoke and CO Alarm with a 10-year sealed battery for long-lasting protection. 

Beyond alarms, having fire extinguishers – and knowing how to use them – is an important part of maintaining a safe home for you and your family. According to the NFPA, the number one cause of home fires in the United States is unattended cooking. Place fire extinguishers in convenient locations in the kitchen and garage, and on every level of the home.

"With more people cooking we expect to see a rise in cooking fires, similar to what is experienced during the winter holiday period. Fire extinguishers are an integral part of a home safety plan and should be within reach of the kitchen area," added Wey.

Having an escape plan is also important. According to the NFPA, only 32% of American households have actually developed and practiced an emergency escape plan. Involve everyone in your household when developing an emergency escape plan. Identify two exits out of each room, including windows and doors, and set a dedicated meeting spot outside. Once outside, stay outside and call 911. Be sure to practice your escape plan with the entire family at least twice a year.

To learn more about how to keep your family and home safe, visit www.FirstAlert.com/BeReady.   

*First Alert Brand Trust Survey, February 2020 – Results are based on the responses of 1,000 adults, ages 25 and older, living in the United States who completed an online survey. Results are statistically significant at 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 results, contact Tim Young at LCWA: 312/565-4628 or tyoung@lcwa.com.

**First Alert Fire Prevention Research Report, May 2019 – Results are based on the responses of 1,000 adult homeowners, ages 18 and older, living in the United States who completed an online survey, May 13-16, 2019.

About BRK Brands, Inc.
BRK Brands, Inc. (Aurora, IL), is a fully owned subsidiary of Newell Brands. For more than 60 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 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 (NASDAQ: 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®, Marmot®, Oster®, Sunbeam®, FoodSaver®, Mr. Coffee®, Rubbermaid Commercial Products®, Graco®, Baby Jogger®, NUK®, Calphalon®, Rubbermaid®, Contigo®, First Alert®, Mapa®, Spontex® and Yankee Candle®.  For hundreds of millions of consumers, Newell Brands makes life better every day, where they live, learn, work and play.

Additional information about Newell Brands is available on the company's website, www.newellbrands.com.  

©2020 BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504. All rights reserved.
BRK Electronics^® is a registered trademark of BRK Brands, Inc., Aurora, IL 60504.
Nasdaq^® is a registered trademark of The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc.

Contacts: Brittni Olson or Claire Vartabedian
L.C. Williams & Associates
P: 312-565-4624 or 312-565-4605
E: bolson@lcwa.com or cvartabedian@lcwa.com

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SOURCE First Alert