Illinois e-News Release

Decatur, Ill- State and local fire safety experts gathered at the Decatur Fire Department to raise awareness about the importance of working smoke alarms in homes and to highlight a no-cost smoke alarm installation program in place for city residents.

“Working smoke alarms save lives, it’s that simple! The OSFM is a proud partner in the “Be Alarmed!” Smoke Alarm Installation Program, a proven lifesaving initiative. I want to extend my deepest gratitude to the dedicated fire departments across Illinois who go above and beyond to educate their communities and install these critical alarms in homes. Just one properly installed smoke alarm can mean the difference between life and death,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow. “Not only do these alarms give residents precious time to safely evacuate, but they also help protect our firefighters by reducing the need for risky rescue operations inside burning homes.”

“The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm Installation Program plays a critical role in protecting the residents of the Decatur community. As inflation continues to impact household budgets, many families are forced to prioritize immediate expenses, often putting off the purchase or maintenance of smoke alarms. Unfortunately, this can leave homes vulnerable to devastating consequences,” said Decatur Fire Department Fire Inspector Matt Jones. “By providing access to free smoke alarms and ensuring they are properly installed, this program directly addresses that risk—helping to save lives, reduce fire-related injuries, and strengthen the overall safety of our community. The Decatur Fire Department remains committed to the safety of our community.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half, 54% to be exact. Meanwhile, roughly three out of five fire deaths happen in homes with either no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.

The Decatur Fire Department offers these key smoke alarm safety tips and guidelines:

• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on each level of the home.

• Make sure smoke alarms meet the needs of all family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

• Test smoke alarms at least once a month by pushing the test button. 

• Replace all broken or expired smoke alarms that are 10 years old or older.

“The Be Alarmed! Smoke Alarm installation program aims to protect and educate residents across the entire state, while reducing residential fire deaths and injuries. The partnerships built between Camp I Am Me, OSFM, and the more than 375 Illinois fire departments participating in this program and has led to more than 52,000 smoke alarms being distributed to protect citizens – more than 1.25 million dollars’ worth of life-saving equipment,” said Camp I Am Me Executive Director Philip Zaleski. “This is vitally important as the installation data we have collected since the program began in 2018 has shown that more than 70% of smoke alarms in homes that are receiving replacement alarms are non-functioning as a result a result of no batteries in the units, dead batteries, or the alarms are more than 10-years old. Today we are proud to highlight the Decatur Fire Department for not only their dedication to fire safety education outreach in the community, but also for their efforts with Be Alarmed! as they have installed more than 1,000 alarms in 602 households, protecting 1,318 of their residents since joining the program.”

“Be Alarmed!” is a fire safety education and smoke alarm installation program administered cooperatively between Camp I Am Me (CIAM) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM). The program distributes fire safety education materials and 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments in the state of Illinois. The fire departments then deliver the education while installing smoke alarms in at-risk homes within their communities. Both the educational materials and smoke alarms are provided at no cost as a result of funding from both the CIAM and OSFM.

To learn more about the program visit: https://www.ifsa.org/prevention-resources/smoke-alarm/.