Efforts to increase smoke detector use in U.S. households : an inventory of programs

Each year in the United States, thousands of people die or are severely injued by fires and burns In 1992 alone, fires and burns claimed the lives of 4,800 people. At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\u2019s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, the Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention (DUIP) works to prevent these needless deaths by conducting, coordinating, and funding fire and burn prevention research and interventions at the state, local, and community levels.One of the most effective ways to prevent deaths and injuries from fires is to install and maintain smoke detectors in households. As part of this effort, the DUIP conducted a nationwide survey in 1994 to identify the various strategies being used to increase the use of smoke detectors in homes. Agencies from across the country responded to the survey, providing detailed descriptions of how they conducted smoke detector giveaway programs, how their programs increased the prevalence of smoke detector use in residences, and the lessons they learned from the experience. This publication features the descriptions of 49 programs from 33 states as well as two national programs.The 10 programs at the beginning of this book (pages 3-24) are described first because they are more comprehensive than the other programs in terms of design, conduct, and results received, and they are more representative of the general population demographically These 10 programs have used unique sampling strategies, and they have conducted evaluations to assess the prevalence and adequacy of smoke detectors as well as the effectiveness of smoke detector maintenance strategies. Descriptions of the other programs (pages 25-110) further illustrate the broad range of smoke detector giveaway programs taking place in the United States. Some of these programs have been completed, and others are ongoing.The purpose of this publication is to raise people\u2019s awareness of what fire departments, healthdepartments, and other groups are doing to increase the use of smoke detectors in households across the United States, because this is a crucial part of fire prevention activities. This document also should serve as a model for groups interested in conducting programs to distribute smokedetectors as part of their fire prevention activities. For more information about a particular program, call or write to the contact person listed at the beginning of the program description.Suggested citation: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Efforts to increase smoke detector use in U.S. households: an inventory of programs. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1996.199