Family Smoke Detector Program

SMOKE DETECTORS & HOME ESCAPE PLANS

Public Education Program for 3^rd Graders

All Chippewa Falls Area Schools 

Ø     Pilot Program – Spring 2000

Ø     Sixth Year – November 2005

History

    During the early morning hours of July 10, 1999 a terrible tragedy occurred in the town of Salem, located in the western Wisconsin county of Pierce.  Five family members, including a 31-year-old woman, her three young children, ages 4 ½, 1, and 11 months, along with her 9 year-old nephew were killed in a house fire.  The family was in the process of moving from LaCrosse, WI and was purchasing a home in Chippewa Falls, WI.  While preparing for the move, the woman’s husband remained in Chippewa Falls while the rest of the family spent the night at the children’s grandparent’s home near Plum City. During the night a fire broke out in the grandparent’s older farm house while everyone was sleeping.  The home did not have any smoke detectors, preventing the occupants from receiving any advanced warning of the fire. Eventually some members of the family awoke to find heavy fire and smoke conditions in the home. The two grandparents and one other child escaped. The five other family members became trapped and died in the fire.   

     A few months after the fire, the Chippewa Falls Fire & Emergency Services Department was approached by the surviving father, Kirt Pickerign, his three sisters; Cindy Lee, Lori Artz and Lynn Elbert and brother Kent. Trying to prevent another such tragedy and hoping something positive could result, they were requesting the Chippewa Falls Fire & Emergency Services help them come up with a new innovative fire safety program. Several meetings were held and members of the fire department’s public education committee came up with what finally became the Chippewa Falls Family Smoke Detector Program. The program involves all Chippewa Falls area third grade students.  

One of the many goals of the program is to get the students grandparents involved, as many of them do not have working smoking detectors in their residences. While most grade school age students are protected in their own home by smoke detectors, many spend time at their grandparent’s homes where no detectors are present.

Implementation

The Chippewa Falls Family Smoke Detector Program involves all 3^rd grade students in the 20 different classrooms of 10 Chippewa Falls area elementary schools:

            * Christ Lutheran                   * Parkview

            * Halmstad                             * Southview

            * Hillcrest                                * Saint Peter’s

            * Holy Ghost                           * Stillson

            * Jim Falls                              * Zion Lutheran

Firefighter/EMTs visit all the 3^rd grade classrooms in the school district and give a one hour presentation to the students on the importance of smoke detectors and home escape plans.  The students then have a week to complete a yellow take home worksheet with their parents, and grandparents if available. The students practice life safety skills and inspect their parents’ and their grandparents’ homes for working smoke detectors.  If those detectors don’t work, they are instructed to install new fresh batteries.  If there are no smoke detectors present, the student can either receive free from the fire department, or purchase at cost, a new 10 year lithium battery smoke detector.  The students also work on a home escape plan and a designated outside family meeting place.  

It was felt by everyone involved in the creation of this program, that only brand new 10 year lithium battery smoke detectors would be offered for sale or free distribution.  Third grade students are 8 - 9 years old. The 10 year lithium battery detectors will provide them protection until the students are of the adult age of 18 - 19, and will not need the normal annual battery replacement found with standard 9-volt battery detectors.  

In February 2000, a pilot program was presented to seven 3^rd grade classes at Parkview and Hillcrest elementary schools.  Modifications were made and the program was fully implemented in all Chippewa Falls area 3^rd grade classes in October of 2000.  

The program continues yearly with funds being raised by sales of the detectors, donations from the public and donations from area fire departments.  It is the goal of all involved to expand the Chippewa Falls Family Smoke Detector Program to all 3^rd grade classes in all Chippewa County elementary schools.

PROGRAM SUCCESS

3rd Grade Statistics (6 years / 2000 – 2005)

Ø      Firefighter/EMTs have spoken to 2443 students in 123 classroom presentations on the importance of smoke detectors and home escape plans. The one hour presentations include the use of safety props and completing an in class worksheet with the students. 

Ø      1872 students (76%) checked their homes for working smoke detectors and returned to school a completed yellow take home worksheet.  

Ø      236 free ten-year lithium battery smoke detectors have been requested and given out. 

Ø      143 ten-year lithium battery smoke detectors have been purchased by the students at fire department cost. 

Ø      1403 students (65%) completed the take home worksheet with their parents. 

Ø      747 students (35%) completed the take home worksheet involving their grandparents. 

Ø      180 students found their smoke detectors did not work and then installed new batteries. 

Ø      Starting with the 2004 presentations, 109 free 9-volt batteries have been given out for replacement in existing detectors. 

Ø      The program continues with funding from $1599 in smoke detector sales and $431 in donations. 

Ø      Chippewa Falls Firefighter/EMTs hand delivers the requested free and purchased smoke detectors to the homes of the parents and/or grandparents and offer assistance in installation.  

Ø      Starting with the 2003 presentations, every 3^rd grade student returning the completed yellow take home work sheets receives a free large chocolate candy bar. 

Ø      No department overtime costs are incurred with this safety program. The Fire Inspector, the Fire Chief, and on-duty crews handle the entire program. 

Ø      Starting with the 2003 presentations, classrooms with 100% participation are eligible to receive a free pizza luncheon with the firefighters.  Pizza luncheon winners have been:

§         Jim Falls Elementary – Debbie Anderson’s class

§         Jim Falls Elementary – Debbie Anderson’s class

§         Jim Falls Elementary – Debbie Anderson’s class 

Ø      The 3^rd grade students in the 10 Chippewa Falls area elementary schools live in many areas of the Chippewa Valley. The following five fire departments are assisting with this program by sending their firefighters out to the homes in their response areas, delivering the requested smoke detectors and offer assistance in installing them:

• Anson/Jim Falls Fire Department
• Chippewa Fire District (Lake Hallie, Hallie, Howard, Lafayette, Wheaton)
• Eagle Point Fire Department
• Eau Claire Fire & Rescue
• Tilden Fire Department

Check your detectors 

Current statistics from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) show that 93% of the homes in the United States now have at least one smoke detector. However, only 50% of those actually work, most fail to operate due to the lack of a fresh battery.