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Evaluation of three smoke detector promotion programs
R A Shults1, J J Sacks, L A Briske
1National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, Georgia 30341-3724, USA.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine
|October 29, 1998
Summary
Many smoke detector programs fail to ensure long-term protection, with a significant percentage of detectors non-functional due to missing batteries. Future programs need improved battery strategies for sustained residential fire safety.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Fire Safety Engineering
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Residential fire deaths disproportionately occur in homes lacking working smoke detectors.
- Smoke detector distribution programs aim to reduce fire fatalities but face challenges with installation and maintenance.
- The long-term effectiveness of these programs is uncertain due to potential non-installation and battery issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the long-term functional status of smoke detectors provided to high-risk households.
- To assess the enduring impact of smoke detector promotion programs in preventing residential fire deaths.
- To identify factors affecting the sustained effectiveness of distributed smoke detectors.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study design was employed.
- Home visits were conducted 3 to 4 years after detector distribution.
- Randomly selected households from three detector promotion programs were evaluated for the presence of at least one working smoke detector.
Main Results:
- Household participation rates in the evaluation ranged from 72% to 82%.
- The proportion of households with a working smoke detector varied, from 58% in Oklahoma to 73% in North Carolina.
- In non-working detectors, 76% had missing or disconnected batteries; 83% were functional after battery replacement.
Conclusions:
- Future programs should prioritize smoke detectors with non-annual battery replacement or implement robust battery replacement strategies.
- Ensuring adequate detector coverage per National Fire Protection Agency standards is crucial.
- Unannounced home visits are a practical method for evaluating injury prevention programs in high-risk populations.