MEBANE, N.C., Feb. 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kidde Fire
Safety has teamed up with Craig
Morgan, Country Music star and former first responder,
Firehouse, the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Fallen
Firefighters Foundation to launch "Step Up and Stand Out," a
national campaign to increase awareness of the need for volunteer
firefighters. An integral element is a contest that launches
nationwide February 11, to recognize
volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their community.
Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products,
is a part of UTC Climate, Controls & Security, a unit of United
Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
Most of America's 30,000 fire departments (87 percent) are
either fully or partially staffed by volunteers. These men and
women act as the first line of defense in an emergency, provide
medical services and protect more than 50 percent of
Americans, particularly in rural communities; however, their
numbers have steadily declined. Volunteers dedicate significant
training hours to ensure they are prepared, often at their own
expense.
"As a former first responder, I want to continue to do what I
can to help keep families safe," said Morgan. "That means making
sure our volunteer fire departments have the support they need.
This program is a great way to show volunteer firefighters how
important they are to us and their communities."
At select stops along Morgan's 2016 tour, he will meet with
local volunteer fire departments, and donate Kidde 10-year sealed
battery smoke alarms. Also, members of IAFC will hold open houses
at various fire departments along the route.
"Firefighters respond to more than 31 million emergency calls
each year – three times the number of emergency responses in 1980,"
said Volunteer Fire Chief Timothy S.
Wall, chair of the IAFC's Volunteer and Combination Officers
Section. "To protect life and property in our communities is an
enormous responsibility, but our fire departments are facing many
challenges, especially recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Step Up and Stand Out is about raising public awareness that your
local fire department needs volunteers of all skill levels and
abilities. We need volunteers who are willing to step up whether as
a trained firefighter or supporting your local fire department in
any number of other ways."
Hosted on Firehouse.com, the contest invites departments and the
public to submit a brief video nominating a current volunteer
firefighter or support volunteer for their service. Submissions
will be accepted until May 21, and
voting will begin in June. Five finalists will be announced at
IAFC's Fire-Rescue International Show, the IAFC's Annual Conference
& Expo on Aug. 18. A final public
vote will then determine a grand prize winner who will be announced
at Firehouse Expo in October. The finalists and grand prize winners
will receive a prize pack consisting of Kidde smoke alarm
donations, safety grants, an NFPA Fire Prevention Week Kit, and
more. The complete rules are available at www.firehouse.com/vf.
"Kidde works with firefighters around the nation to raise
awareness about fire safety and we appreciate their dedication to
their communities. Home safety and the safety of an overall
community go hand in hand, and that includes having working smoke
alarms in homes and having enough volunteers trained and ready to
answer the call when needed," said Chris
Rovenstine, vice president, sales and marketing, Kidde.
Follow #StepUpStandOut on social media.
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 nearly 100 years ago. Kidde is a part of UTC Climate,
Controls & Security, 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.
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SOURCE Kidde