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Kidde Residential & Commercial
1016 Corporate Park Drive
Mebane, NC 27302
http://www.Kidde.com

Contact – Todd Pendergast, Web Communications Manager
Ph – 919-304-8244
Fax – 919-563-2712
Email – todd.pendergast@fs.utc.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New California Resolution
Inspires Community Initiative

Community and industry leaders unite to help educate families during
California’s first Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week.

Mebane, NC, November 12, 2007 – A partnership that includes Safe Kids Los Angeles; the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health; the Sacramento and Los Angeles County Fire Departments; and Kidde, the world’s largest fire safety manufacturer; join together to help educate families during California Carbon Monoxide (CO) Awareness Week.

The partnership announces events in Sacramento and Los Angeles in honor of California’s CO Awareness Week. Captain Michael Brown, public information officer for Los Angeles County Fire Department, is thankful for the State’s new focus on prevention: “Carbon monoxide poisoning isn’t something that families often think about, yet as firefighters, we see firsthand how lethal it can be. Every year, we respond to poisonings, especially when the weather gets colder. CO Awareness Week is a great time for us to educate families about this silent killer.”

Who
The Los Angeles event announces Kidde’s donation to SAFE KIDS LA, the LA County Fire Department and the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The Sacramento event announces Kidde’s donation to the Sacramento Fire Department.

What
At each event, Kidde will donate 450 CO alarms to fire departments for installation in low-income homes. Fire departments and carbon monoxide poisoning experts will be available to speak about the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Recognizing the need for increased education and prevention messages on CO, this year, California legislature declared the week of November 12-16 as Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week. The measure urges the State Fire Marshal, fire departments, public schools, and other organizations to initiate activities during the week to help raise awareness about this silent killer, and ways families can help protect themselves.

Where
The events will be held at the LA County Fire Department Headquarters and the Sacramento Fire Department’s Engine 1 facility.

When
The Los Angeles event is held on November 13, from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. The Sacramento event is held on November 14, from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.

Awareness is Key to Prevention
According to the Centers for Disease Control, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the U.S. Carbon monoxide kills more than 2,000 people a year according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“It’s important to recognize the lethality of CO exposure,” said James DeCarli, SAFE Kids Los Angeles and the LA County Department of Public Health. “Carbon monoxide poisoning fatalities are at least two to three times greater than hospitalizations, illustrating how severe exposure can be. We need to do all we can to educate families about how to protect themselves and getting alarms into families’ hands is a great start.

More information about carbon monoxide and California CO Awareness Week is available at http://www.KnowAboutCO.com

About Kidde
Since 1917, Kidde has earned a trusted reputation as the world’s largest manufacturer of fire safety products whose mission is to provide safety solutions that protect people and property from fire and its related hazards. Kidde offers a wide range of fire protection products including smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, fire extinguishers, escape ladders, and other accessories. Kidde is part of UTC Fire & Security, a leading global supplier of fire safety and security services serving government, industrial, commercial and retail industries. UTC Fire & Security is a division of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX) a diversified company that provides high technology products and services to the aerospace and commercial building industries worldwide.