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CHILDREN AND SENIORS

New Fire Safety Survey Finds Adults and Caregivers Believe They Are Highly Prepared -- But Actual Preparedness Practices Reveal Some Major Gaps

Despite the fact that fires and burns are the third leading cause of unintentional home injury and related deaths, adults and their loved ones remain dangerously unprotected. In response to this, Duracell and the Home Safety Council (HSC) today announced the launch of the Power to Protect program - an educational partnership that provides free, up-to-date fire safety tools for adults and offers new insights for caregivers of children and/or seniors, the two groups which are most vulnerable during a home fire.

According to a Duracell survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Power to Protect program, the vast majority of U.S. adults (92 percent) say they are at least somewhat prepared to respond to a fire in their homes. Despite this high level of perceived preparedness, the survey found that during the past six months adults missed important steps, including not testing smoke alarms (43 percent), not having a basic home escape plan and not practicing fire drills. Through the Power to Protect program, adults can evaluate their current fire safety readiness and download age-specific fire safety guides just in time for National Fire Safety Month (October 2007) at http://www.duracell.com.

Duracell worked closely with the HSC to create this educational site, which includes a unique fire safety assessment tool allowing users to answer a series of questions about their current fire safety practices to generate personalized tip sheets based on their responses. In addition to reinforcing common, critical fire safety and prevention tips, these customized assessments address the unique needs of children and seniors, providing families with a clear call-to-action to help ensure their homes and loved ones are safe.

In support of the Power to Protect program, actress Ashley Judd, who personally experienced a home fire due to a wildfire, has recorded a radio public service announcement that will begin airing in October to help generate awareness of these new fire safety resources.

The Power to Protect fire safety Web site was created based on a custom survey of adults, which highlighted major areas in need of improvement. And, for the first time, the survey focused on the challenges of the Sandwich Generation, a unique population responsible for the care of both children and seniors - the two groups that are at the highest risk during a fire emergency. This growing Sandwich Generation is expected to reach 60 million over the next 25 years.

Key area findings in the Duracell Power to Protect survey include:

• Having a fire safety plan is the most critical element for any home, yet nearly a quarter of U.S. adults (24 percent) do not have a household fire safety plan.
• While experts recommend practicing at least twice a year, more than nine in 10 U.S. adults (95 percent) have not conducted a fire drill in their home in the past six months.
• In the past six months among Sandwich Generation caregivers, over three-quarters of caregivers (78 percent) have not conducted a fire drill in their home.
• Among those who have smoke alarms in their home, a significant 43 percent of U.S. adults have not tested a fire alarm within the last six months. The HSC recommends testing the smoke alarm at least once a month and replacing the batteries at least once per year.

As part of its commitment to fire safety, Duracell will make an in-kind donation of batteries and flashlights to HSC along with a monetary donation to fund educational programs that further the mission of the organization.

"We are extremely happy to be working with Duracell to bring the Power to Protect program to life," said Meri-K Appy, president, HSC. "This program is an important call-to-action for adults and caregivers. We urge these groups to take a moment to evaluate their fire safety practices to ensure that their homes and loved ones are well protected."

"Duracell has focused on preparedness programs for some time, and we are proud to bring our fire safety programming to the next level with the Home Safety Council," said Mark Bertolami, president, Duracell, The Procter & Gamble Company. "Caregivers for children and seniors have a huge responsibility, and it's our hope that the valuable fire safety preparedness information provided through the Power to Protect program will make that job a little easier."

About The Duracell Power to Protect Survey Methodology
This fire safety survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of Duracell between August 13 - 15 and August 16 - 20, 2007 among 7,385 U.S. adults ages 18+. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online. Significance testing is done to the 95 percent confidence level.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with non response, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, un-weighted, random samples with 100 percent response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the U.S. adult population. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to be invited to participate in the Harris Interactive online research panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

About Duracell
Part of The Procter & Gamble Company [NYSE: PG], Duracell is the world's leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries. Duracell also sells various other types of batteries, including lithium and zinc air batteries, as well as rechargeable Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries and chargers. The company also markets general purpose flashlights. Visit www.duracell.com for more information about Duracell batteries.
  
About Procter & Gamble
Three billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers(R), Tide(R), Ariel(R), Always(R), Whisper(R), Pantene(R), Mach3(R), Bounty(R), Dawn(R), Gain(R), Pringles(R), Folgers(R), Charmin(R), Downy(R), Lenor(R), Iams(R), Crest(R), Oral-B(R), Actonel(R), Duracell(R), Olay(R), Head & Shoulders(R), Wella(R), Gillette(R), and Braun(R). The P&G community consists of 138,000 employees working in over 80 countries worldwide. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

About Harris Interactive
Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest- running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at www.harrisinteractive.com. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys, register at www.harrispollonline.com.