Kidde Donates 700 New Carbon Monoxide Alarms to Connecticut State Fire Marshal's Office

WEST HAVEN, Conn., Oct. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- With another New England winter fast approaching, officials from Kidde announced today the company is donating 700 carbon monoxide (CO) alarms to the Connecticut State Fire Marshal. According to that state agency, Connecticut firefighters responded to 1,400 carbon monoxide calls in 2004, with the winter months putting residents at particular risk of CO poisoning.

Kidde is part of UTC Fire & Security, a United Technologies Corp. business unit. UTC Fire & Security provides fire and security solutions to more than one million customers around the world.

The announcement was made at a press conference today held by Rep. Stephen Dargan (D-West Haven), who was instrumental in passing HB6894, requiring CO alarms in newly constructed one- and two-family residences.

Outgoing Kidde President Ed LeBlanc emphasized that the donation will help the Connecticut State Fire Marshal ensure that low-income families meet the new law's requirements.

"We applaud the leadership and foresight displayed by Governor Jodi Rell, Rep. Dargan and the entire Connecticut legislature in passing this legislation," LeBlanc said. "It goes a long way to protecting Connecticut residents from the danger of carbon monoxide poisoning. We are proud to be able to assist the Connecticut State Fire Marshal with this donation."

Deputy State Fire Marshal John Blaschik, Jr. accepted the donation from Kidde.

Known as the "silent killer," carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless. Only a CO alarm can detect the deadly gas, which kills approximately 2,000 people each year, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Poisonings attributed to CO were unusually high in New England last year as a result of heavy winter storms. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that improperly used generators, often during storm-related power outages, cause more than 15 percent of the annual CO poisoning deaths in the U.S. associated with fuel-powered appliances.

In addition to generators, the burning of fossil fuels via furnaces, fireplaces and space heaters are major generators of CO. According to the 2000 Census, 85 percent of Connecticut housing uses some form of fossil fuel based heating.

As a result, safety officials across the country urge all New England residents to install CO alarms in all homes before the first winter storm.

About Kidde

As the world's largest manufacturer of fire safety products, Kidde's mission is to provide solutions that protect people and property from the effects of fire and related hazards. For more than 80 years industry leaders, the military, airlines and firefighters have relied on Kidde to deliver superior fire detection and suppression products. Consumers will find that same advanced fire safety technology in Kidde's residential and commercial smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers and other life safety products. Based in Mebane, N.C., Kidde is part of UTC Fire & Security, a leading global supplier of fire safety and security services serving government, industrial, commercial and retail industries with brand names such as Kidde, Chubb and others. UTC Fire & Security is a business unit of United Technologies Corp. a diversified company that provides high technology products and services to the aerospace and commercial building industries worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.kiddeus.com/.