Brief News Items for Your Local Newspapers

Placement Tip

Provide these news fillers to your local news editors now, so they’ll have them on hand to run when they have an unexpected opening later. These help you keep your department and your priority safety messages top of mind in your community.
Customize them by filling in the blanks with your local information, add your contact information at the top and send them on to the news editor.

Fire Safety News Items – Can be Used Year-round

Print on Your Department’s Letterhead

For more information, contact: (Your PIO’s Name and Telephone Number)

Four out of five U.S. households do not test their smoke alarms often enough.

According to the nonprofit Home Safety Council, only 20 percent of U.S. households with smoke alarms test them regularly. The (Your Fire Department) says residents of (Your Town/City) should push the “test” button on all smoke alarms in the home at least once every month. “A fire is no time to discover your smoke alarm isn’t working,” says (Your Spokesperson). The Home Safety Council and the (Your Fire Department) urge every family to cover the home fire safety basics: have working smoke alarms on every level, plan now how to get out if fire strikes, and practice the plan with fire drills at least twice a year. Download a free family fire escape plan worksheet online at www.homesafetycouncil.org.

For Children 1-14 Years Old, Fires and Burns Cause the Largest Number of Unintentional Home Fatalities

The (Your Fire Department) is urging (Your Town/City) families to inspect their homes and identify potential fire and burn hazards, then take the steps to fix the problems before they cause an injury. According to the nonprofit Home Safety Council’s State of Home Safety in America™ Report, fires and burns are the third-leading cause of home injury death, accounting for an average of 3,402 deaths per year. For children 1-14 years of age, fires and burns cause the most home fatalities. To learn how you can prevent fires and burns in your home download a free home fire safety checklist on the Home Safety Council Web site: www.homesafetycouncil.org.