State Farm Donates over 7,700 Fire Prevention Kits to Support Fire Safety Education

St. Pete, FL. October 1, 2024 – State Farm® and the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) have joined forces to promote Fire Prevention Week™, taking place from October 6-12, 2024. This year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you.™,” aims to educate the public about the critical importance of working smoke alarms.

Statistics show that most U.S. home fire deaths occur in homes without smoke alarms or with non-functional smoke alarms. According to the NFPA, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a fire by over half (54 percent).

“Smoke alarms alert people in time to escape a home fire safely, but they have to be working in order to protect people,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign highlights simple but critical steps people can take to ensure that the smoke alarms in their homes are installed, tested, and maintained properly.”

In collaboration with NFPA, fire departments, and local elementary schools, State Farm associates are encouraging all residents to actively support this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign by testing all smoke alarms in their homes, ensuring they are installed in all necessary locations, and replacing them every 10 years.

To further educate communities, State Farm associates are donating over 7,700 “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you”, “Sparky the Fire Dog”, and “Take Along Sparky” kits to fire departments and elementary schools across the country. In Florida alone, 500 kits are being donated by State Farm associates.

“Helping people manage the risks of everyday life is a fundamental part of our mission,” said Apsara Sorensen, Assistant Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at State Farm. “Through our collaboration with NFPA and local fire departments, we are actively working towards increasing awareness about fire prevention.”

Florida Fire Departments and your local State Farm agents are sharing the following important smoke alarm tips:
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each separate sleeping area (like a hallway), and on each level
(including the basement) of the home.
• Ensure 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 smoke alarms when they are 10 years old or do not respond when tested.

Fire Prevention Week is celebrated throughout North America every October and is the oldest U.S. public health observance on record. For more than 100 years, Fire Prevention Week has worked to educate people on the risks of home fires and ways to minimize them. Local fire departments, schools, and community organizations play a key role in bringing Fire Prevention Week to life in their communities each year by spreading basic but critical fire safety messages.

To learn more about Fire Prevention Week and this year’s theme, “Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!” visit fpw.org. Additional Fire Prevention Week resources for children, caregivers, and educators can be found at sparky.org and sparkyschoolhouse.org.