The Geneva Fire Department has received a major donation of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms that officials say will help improve residential safety throughout the city.
The donation from Kidde includes 200 ten-year battery-powered smoke alarms and 200 ten-year battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms with digital displays. The equipment has a combined retail value of $16,988.
According to the department, the alarms will be used to provide immediate protection when firefighters encounter homes with missing, expired, defective, or nonfunctioning smoke or carbon monoxide detectors during emergency responses, fire prevention activities, home safety visits, and other interactions with residents.
“This donation gives our firefighters an important resource to address an urgent safety need while they are already in the home,” Fire Chief Del Parrotta said. “A working smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm can provide the early warning needed to save lives.”
The donation marks the second time Kidde has provided alarms to the department in recent years. The company previously donated 500 smoke detectors that have since been installed throughout the city.
Department officials emphasized that the alarms are intended primarily as an emergency and short-term safety measure for residents who may not have the ability or resources to immediately replace faulty alarms. The program does not replace the legal responsibility of landlords and property owners to provide and maintain required smoke and carbon monoxide detection devices.
Deputy Fire Chief Michael Bucklin, who oversees the department’s Fire Prevention and Public Education Division, led the effort to secure the donation and develop the distribution program.
“The generosity of Kidde will allow us to immediately correct dangerous situations that our personnel encounter in the field,” Bucklin said. “Instead of identifying that a family has no working alarm and leaving them unprotected, we will now have the ability to provide an immediate layer of safety.”
The Geneva Fire Department reminds residents that smoke alarms should be installed on every level of a home, inside sleeping rooms, and outside sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide alarms should be installed according to manufacturer recommendations and applicable safety requirements. Officials also encourage residents to test alarms regularly and replace them when they reach the end of their service life.
Residents, landlords, and property owners remain responsible for maintaining working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in their properties.
The City of Geneva and the Geneva Fire Department thanked Kidde for its continued support of community safety initiatives and the department’s mission to protect lives and property.
