MAYOR DE BLASIO AND FDNY COMMISSIONER DANIEL A. NIGRO ANNOUNCE LAUNCH OF HOME FIRE SAFETY PROGRAM #GETALARMEDNYC
 FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro speaks at the launch of #GetAlarmedNYC at the Quarters of Engine Company 255 and Ladder Company 157 in Brooklyn.
Monday, November 2, Mayor Bill de Blasio, FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro, Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Chaim Deutsch, Council Member Jumaane Williams, Fire and Criminal Justice Chair Council Member Elizabeth Crowley and NY Red Cross CEO Josh Lockwood today announced the launch of a new fire safety program, #GetAlarmedNYC at the quarters of Engine Company 255 and Ladder Company 157 in Brooklyn. GetAlarmedNYC is the largest smoke detector giveaway and installation program in the nation.
In New York City, the FDNY's Bureau of Fire Investigations has determined that up to 70 percent of fire deaths in recent years have occurred in residences where there was no working smoke alarm - either with no alarm present, or missing or dead batteries in a device.
“It's another great example of the many ways FDNY protects the people of this city - starting today, 100,000 free smoke alarms will be given away across the city, thanks to a $4 million public-private partnership,” said Mayor de Blasio. “Smoke alarms are not a luxury - they are a necessity. It is required that every home have a smoke alarm and it is one of the most fundamental things a family can do to protect themselves. And nobody knows this better than the brave men and women of the FDNY who serve all of our communities every day.”
The $4 million fire and life safety initiative will provide free installation of 100,000 photoelectric combination smoke/carbon monoxide alarms to tens of thousands of city residents, targeting communities in all five boroughs that pose the greatest risks from fire, according to FDNY statistics and analysis.
“The majority of fatal fires we see are in private dwellings - in people’s homes รข€“ the places that FDNY members cannot inspect,” said Commissioner Nigro. “Through this program, we’re going to put smoke alarms - the number one tool you need to survive a fire - into the homes of tens of thousands of New Yorkers.”
The #GetAlarmedNYC initiative was spurred by the tragic deaths of seven children last March - all from the same family - in a fire in Council Member Chaim Deutsch's district in Midwood, Brooklyn.
 Mayor Bill de Blasio helps Fire Safety Education distribute information and sign-up New Yorkers for #GetAlarmedNYC at launch in Brooklyn.
The smoke/carbon monoxide alarms that will be installed are sealed devices that do not require new batteries and are designed to last for up to 10 years. Funding for this program is provided by the City Council and the non-profit FDNY Foundation, while fire safety product manufacturer Kidde will contribute smoke alarms. The American Red Cross will be providing organizational support and volunteers who will work with fire safety educators from the FDNY Foundation and install the alarms in private homes and apartments, and provide fire prevention education information.
“I am getting a smoke/CO detector for my grandmother - she’s 85-years-old - it is very important to get CO alarms, you can't smell it and you can’t see it and a lot of people don't know what to signs and symptoms look for, and it is often too late by the time people realize what is happening,” said EMT Bryan Sotomayor a 3-year veteran of FDNY serving with HazTac Battalion, who accompanied his mother Theresa Sotomayor to the event. “Since joining HazTac I have come across many jobs, like evacuated supermarkets, houses and buildings, and people often do not know that there was a CO leak. This time of year, it is particularly important because when people have boilers reinstalled for winter they can leak CO, winter comes around and it happens a lot and sometimes it is too late by the time they do.”
 (left to right) a member of FDNY Fire Safety Education helps EMT Bryan Sotomayor sign-up his grandmother for an alarm installation and provides him with educational materials.
The initiative will span two years, with hundreds of alarms installed each week by volunteers from the American Red Cross.
New York City residents can obtain more information about the program beginning today by calling 311.
The FDNY and Red Cross will host community events in all five boroughs where city residents can schedule installations in their homes. Find FDNY community events here
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