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Hamilton Spectator
5 hours ago
- General
- Hamilton Spectator
Fire safety gets big boost in Kahnawake
Experts sounded the alarm on fire safety at the Kahnawake Fire Brigade (KFB) on Wednesday, kicking off a campaign that will reach at least 16 Indigenous communities, ahead of a giveaway of hundreds of smoke alarms in town. 'Kahnawake by far is probably the tip of the sword when it comes to fire protection,' said interim KFB fire chief Wihse Stacey. 'Communities look up to us. It's not unusual to get calls from Cree communities, from communities out west. Generally, we tend to lead the way. Having Kidde on board when it comes to fire safety, it's huge.' Kidde, a century-old brand specializing in fire safety projects, has teamed up with the likes of the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council and Firefighters Without Borders for its Cause for Alarm campaign, which will see 6,000 fire alarms donated to First Nations. 'We can't underscore how important this initiative is for this community and to all First Nations communities who struggle to maintain fire departments across the country,' said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake chief David Diabo, who attended to show Council's support for the initiative. He implored Kahnawa'kehró:non to sign up to receive a smoke detector, which will be distributed by the fire brigade pending an announcement on how they will be given out. 'It's so important because fire safety is all about being prepared, and everyone's at risk for fires in their homes, but some communities have higher rates of house fires,' said Ivanette Bonilla, chief communications and government relations officer for Kidde, who noted Indigenous communities suffer around 20 percent of fire-related deaths despite making up about five percent of the country's population. 'It's critically important that we reach these communities, not only with the alarms, but also with the education on how to keep the alarm,' she said, noting the importance of testing it monthly, changing it every 10 years, and of households having an evacuation plan, which is crucial when seconds count. The alarms provided by Kidde have 25 percent faster detection, Bonilla said, and are designed to avoid nuisance alarms that often prompt people to disable the devices. 'If you're cooking a hamburger at home, it won't trigger the alarm,' Bonilla said. A total of 504 alarms were donated to Kahnawake. Stacey presented the donation as an opportunity for community members to ensure early fire detection without having to dig into their own pockets. 'As a fire inspector, it's hard for me to go into these houses and tell them what to do, to tell them they have to spend money on fire safety,' said Stacey. 'How do I justify them spending money? They might be struggling to put food on the table but here I am walking in saying you have to buy this, you have to buy that.' The donation changes that equation, which is crucial considering the role the devices can play in the security of the community. 'Early detection saves lives, plain and simple,' he said, noting that anyone who has seen a video of a house fire on YouTube will know how fast fires can consume homes. Like Bonilla, Stacey urged community members to ensure their smoke alarms are functioning, with the fire brigade often seeing alarms installed that should have been out of commission long ago. 'That's actually one of the biggest problems that we face,' he said. 'If I walk into a house, there's a good chance I'm going to find one that could be 20 or even 30 years old. They have that funny yellow colour that looks like somebody's been smoking in there for years, and it's obvious to me without even having to look at it that it's long since expired, and that's the problem.' The last time the fire brigade distributed smoke detectors, there was a line up down the road before the giveaway even opened, he said, showing the level of interest and need in the community. Kahnawake elder Otsitsaken:ra Charlie Patton opened the event at the fire brigade, during which he recalled the Kahnawake of his childhood. 'I remember they had an old pumper truck that maybe started one day and didn't start the next day, and maybe it only ran because people pushed it up a hill,' he said. Oftentimes, he said, wells would go dry before a fire had been extinguished, and despite community members coming together, homes would be lost. 'Now look at where we are, the beautiful equipment that we have,' he said. 'This didn't just happen because somebody flicked a switch. It happened because people had foresight, people had a dream, people did the legwork and rolled up their sleeves and found ways to make the community better.' This is the context in which he put the smoke alarm donation. 'I'm sure it will save a lot of lives,' he said. marcus@ Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Global News
2 days ago
- General
- Global News
Why are fire-related deaths higher in Indigenous communities?
Laura McComber's mind is more at ease. On Wednesday, the resident in the Mohawk community of Kahnawake, south of Montreal, had a smoke detector installed in her home, where her parents lived. It's her first one. 'There was never any alarm systems,' she told Global News. 'I don't think they had anything like that back in the day.' Fire officials estimate that only about half the homes in that community have smoke detectors, and that the smoke detector shortage also exists in Indigenous communities across Canada. 'Part of it comes down to education,' explained Arnold Lazare, Indigenous fire marshal for Canada. 'People don't knowingly not install smoke alarms. We found out that in many instances it comes down to economics where people have other priorities.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy It's why a coalition of private and and Indigenous groups have launched a pilot project to distribute and install more than 6,000 smoke alarms for Indigenous families across the country. They're distributing the alarms to 16 Indigenous communities, including Kahnawake, which is getting just over 500. Story continues below advertisement 'While [Indigenous Peoples] only make five per cent of the population in Canada, they make about 20 per cent of fire related deaths,' Ivanette Bonilla explained. She's chief communications & government relations officer for Kidde, the company providing the devices. 'There's a great need to raise awareness of fire safety education, but also access to working smoke alarms.' Lazare agrees. 'There was a fire in Kahnawake recently that the family didn't have a working detector,' he recalls. 'Their injuries are probably graver than what would've happened if they had a working detector.' Included in the pilot project is fire safety education, without which the distribution of equipment would not be as effective, officials say. 'That includes our tool kit,' said Bonilla. 'It has information on how to create a family escape plan so that everyone in the home knows what to do, including children.' The groups want to expand the project if this first phase goes well. Story continues below advertisement
Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- General
- Montreal Gazette
Campaign to distribute smoke detectors in 16 First Nations communities kicks off in Kahnawake
By KAHNAWAKE — Indigenous Peoples living on reserves are 10 times more likely to die in a house fire than non-Indigenous Canadians, according to the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. An initiative launched Wednesday in Kahnawake aims to change that. The campaign will distribute 6,000 smoke detectors across 16 First Nations communities, including Kahnawake — devices that local firefighters say are more crucial than fire engines when it comes to saving lives. 'Fire departments don't save lives. They save structures,' said Kahnawake Fire Brigade captain Karonhi:io Curotte. Fatal fires tend to spread too fast for fire departments to respond on time, he said. The life-and-death question is not how fast the fire is extinguished, but how quickly people get out. 'A fire grows so fast,' said Arnold Lazare, the former Kahnawake fire chief who is now spearheading the campaign in his capacity as Indigenous Fire Marshall of Canada at the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. Even 'if the department gets there within three minutes (after the fire starts) ... the smoke is at a level where it's fatal already.' Smoke detectors alert people to fires quickly, improving their odds of getting out on time. In Kahnawake, many homes have smoke detectors, but the devices are often too old to function, fire chief Wihse Stacey said. 'I don't think people are hesitant to put smoke alarms in their homes.' A recent distribution of smoke detectors saw the supply of more than 100 of the devices run out in a matter of minutes, he said. 'The problem is that they don't understand that smoke alarms have a shelf life.' With most calls to the fire department concerning smaller issues, such as suspicious odours, Stacey said firefighters will talk to people they meet about installing smoke alarms. 'Public education' is key to fighting fires, he said. 'Telling them is one thing. Teaching them why is a whole different story.' The detectors, donated by Kidde, a U.S. smoke detector distributor, will be installed by fire departments in homes to prevent improper installation. The detectors are designed to last 10 years without requiring a new battery, said Kidde communications officer Ivanette Bonilla. A May 27 house fire in Kahnawake was the third in about a month, Curotte said. 'The house was fully engulfed,' said Stacey, with the family losing their home. But that frequency is not the norm, Curotte said, with public safety campaigns having successfully reduced the number of fires over recent decades. When he became a firefighter 32 years ago, Curotte said the department would expect a major fire every month. 'People didn't have smoke detectors,' he said. 'We've had people die.' Fire detector awareness has significantly improved in the community, he said, making Kahnawake less susceptible to fatal house fires than some of the other communities included in the campaign. Many Indigenous communities are without fire departments, he said. And many don't receive the necessary funding to pay their firefighters. Kahnawake has 15 paid staff, including firefighters, office personnel and ambulance drivers. 'It's the only fire department in all of Quebec where you see red and white ambulances,' Curotte said.
Washington Post
07-03-2025
- Washington Post
I'm looking to replace my wired smoke detectors. What are my options?
Q: About 10 years ago, I replaced the original wired smoke alarms in my home with wired dual sensors that use both photoelectric and ionization technology. Because I've read that in-home smoke detectors should be replaced every 10 years, I have looked for replacements. But I've found just photoelectric detectors and photoelectric plus carbon monoxide detectors, which I don't need because we have stand-alone CO alarms. What is the best type of replacement smoke alarm to buy? I would like to add a battery-operated smoke detector in the garage. Can it be connected with the ones in the house? Also, I am considering internet connectivity for the alarm system. In a wired system, should each alarm be connected to the internet? Or do we need only one alarm to be connected to get alerts on our mobiles? A: Your question about whether to get photoelectric or ionization detectors is easiest to answer. A new testing standard for smoke alarms went into effect in June that requires all new models to be good at sensing both smoldering fires and open flames. Before that, photoelectric detectors were better at sensing smoldering fires and ionization detectors were better at sensing flames. The difference was significant enough that the National Fire Protection Association recommended installing both types, leading manufacturers to make dual-sensing units. The distinction is no longer relevant as long as you buy sensors that are labeled as meeting the new requirements. The new rules also include a test designed to reduce false alarms: An alarm must stay silent when two hamburger patties are grilled 10 feet away. Because finding dual-mode sensors isn't really an issue anymore, figuring out how to link a battery unit with wired-in alarms might seem like your biggest challenge. Numerous websites say flat-out that it's not possible and that only wired alarms can interconnect. That's outdated advice, too. First Alert and Kidde both make bridge units that allow a battery-only detector to communicate with wired-in detectors, creating the interconnected system you want. The picture you sent shows that your current detectors are made by Kidde. Its bridge unit, P4010ACSCO-W, has only 1.2 out of 5 stars from customer ratings reported on its own website. The company is no longer making it, although some retailers may still have some in stock. First Alert's bridge unit, the SA520B, has good reviews but is being replaced by the SM500-AC to comply with new electrical standards; these models are also listed with the same codes as a products from BRK, a sister company. The NFPA warns not to mix detectors from different manufacturers in an interconnected system because the way they communicate might be incompatible. Because you are planning to install new detectors throughout, switching to a different manufacturer is no issue, but if you were just trying to add a battery unit, you'd be wise to stick to one manufacturer or call your current company to ask about compatibility of a bridge unit from a different company. If you go for First Alert's products, you could get the SM500V ($59.95 on the First Alert website) for the garage. This alarm runs on batteries and delivers warnings by voice. Note, though, that First Alert does not recommend installing a smoke alarm in a garage because of the risk of false alarms. But if you aren't starting a car or running equipment that generates smoke there, the warning probably wouldn't apply. The new battery-only detector should include 'wireless interconnect' as a feature, but that means it can connect wirelessly to a bridge unit inside your house, not to your phone. For the bridge unit, which would link the battery unit in the garage to the other detectors in your house, you could replace one of the wired-in units with the SA520B or, when it is available, the SM500-AC. Finding these could be a challenge if you want to update your alarms soon. A First Alert customer-service representative said there is no estimate of when the new units will be available. The older model, SA520B, is sold out at many companies, although some online retailers still have it in stock. Elliott Electric Supply, which has dozens of stores in many states, had 256 units in stock earlier this week, although some stores had none. Call before you place an order. (The SA520B is described on some websites as a battery unit, but it has a way on the back to wire it in, which is what you'd need to do, after you turn off power at the circuit-breaker panel.) For the other wired-in detectors in your house, you have numerous options, including the SM100V-AC, a photoelectric sensor with voice commands ($59.95), or the SMI100-AC, an ionization detector that also has voice commands ($34.95 on Amazon). Could the combination of a battery unit in the garage and a bridge unit and wired-in detectors in the house also allow you to monitor the system from afar via cellphone? Not currently with First Alert products, said a customer-service representative who specializes in interconnectivity at First Alert. First Alert did make them, including a model designed to work with Ring, but no new ones are being made while the product is being redesigned. Kidde's Smoke Alarm with Smart Features also seems to have problems: On the company's website, more customers gave it one-star reviews (the lowest option) than gave it five stars. Kidde smart alarms that include air-quality monitoring have better reviews. There are companies that make devices for linking alarms to home-monitoring systems accessible via phone using Z-Wave, a technology protocol that uses a different wavelength than WiFi, thus avoiding interference. The Zooz Z-Wave Plus Smoke and CO Detector Bridge, which lists for $34.95 at is one example. But study the technical details or contact that manufacturer to make sure it would work with whatever smoke alarms you buy. Installation instructions for the Zooz device suggest installing it at the last smoke detector in a wired system because that electrical box doesn't have as many wired connections. You would need only one bridge for the system. You'd also need a compatible hub to receive the message. Zooz has tested Ring and ADT systems and verified they work. If you have a different home-security system, you'd need to call the company to make sure. Have a problem in your home? Send questions to localliving@ Put 'How To' in the subject line, tell us where you live and try to include a photo.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Igniting Awareness, Extinguishing Risk: Kidde and iHeartMedia Team up for Home Safety
The Powerful Brand Alliance Will Deliver Life-Saving Fire and Carbon Monoxide (CO) Education and Resources to Families Across the Country Through Donations and Regional Events NEW YORK, March 06, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Kidde, a trusted leader in fire safety for more than 100 years, has announced the expansion of its Cause For Alarm™ program through a collaboration with The Home Depot and iHeartMedia to promote home safety. The collaboration aims to close the fire and CO safety education gap and help keep communities safe through local events hosted at designated The Home Depot stores and promotional support from iHeartMedia across the country. The campaign also includes donations to local fire departments for distribution to those in need. As a heritage brand, Kidde has a history of making fire and CO detection affordable and accessible, which is at the core of its Cause For Alarm program. Since launching in 2022, Cause For Alarm has been helping families prioritize fire and CO safety by ensuring they have working smoke and CO alarms, and a fire escape plan in place. In 2023, the brand launched "Beeps That Last, Get Out Fast" to help children learn what to do in the event of a house fire. The song was reimagined this past October, turning it into an emotional call-to-action titled "The Living Jingle," sung by children directly affected by house fires. Knowing that nearly 60% of home fire deaths occur in properties without working smoke alarms – a fact that Kidde does not take lightly – the brand has donated more than $6.4 million dollars' worth of smoke and CO alarms to communities in need across North America just in the last three years. On Thursday, February 27, Kidde hosted a breakfast in New York City, honoring the FDNY, where it announced another product donation of more than $400,000 to be distributed across the greater New York area. Additionally, iHeartMedia New York donated $25,000 to the FDNY Foundation through their iHeartIMPACT program. This year, Kidde will host home safety events in New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Atlanta, engaging with communities on a personal level and sharing life-saving information around fire and CO. Attendees will be encouraged to sign the new "Cause For Alarm" pledge to commit to practicing safety at home, putting what they learned from the brand into action. The first event took place on Saturday, March 1, at The Home Depot in the Bronx, NY. It featured giveaways, entertainment from iHeartMedia New York and engaging fire safety activities with Kidde and the FDNY. Hundreds of community members attended, enjoying a hands-on home safety experience with their families. "Our partners at The Home Depot and iHeartMedia have been with us since the inception of Cause For Alarm, helping to ensure life-saving devices are installed in homes everywhere," said Ivanette Bonilla, Chief Communications and Government Relations Officer for Kidde. "While these relationships aren't new, the way we are approaching home safety together is. These local events help make fire and CO safety approachable, accessible, and fun for families." "We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with Kidde to help ensure fire and CO safety is a priority for everyone, especially those who may not have direct access to the resources they need," said Steve DeLusant, Regional Manager for iHeartMedia New York. "By leveraging iHeartMedia's nationwide platform, we have the opportunity to spread Kidde's messaging far and wide." "It's our goal to ensure customers are equipped with fire and CO safety devices and to help educate residents on how they can better protect themselves and their loved ones," said Allison Snow, Associate Merchant for The Home Depot. "Through our collaboration with Kidde, we can drive life-saving impact in the communities we serve, and we're proud to be a part of that." To learn more about Cause For Alarm, visit For more information about Kidde, visit or follow @KiddeFireSafety on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. About Kidde For over 100 years, Kidde has been a trusted name in fire safety, manufacturing residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, fire extinguishers, and safety accessories. After introducing the first integrated smoke detection system a century ago, Kidde continues to set the standard and help protect people and property with advanced, smart and connected solutions for today's modern consumer. For more information, visit or follow Kidde on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. About iHeartMedia, Inc. iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with 90% of Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart's broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet; twice the size of the next largest broadcast radio company; and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to Podtrac, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, with seven times more followers than the next audio media brand, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit for more company information. View source version on Contacts Stephanie iHeartMediaDanielle Dellilodanielledellilo@ Sign in to access your portfolio
