Music Star and Former First Responder Craig Morgan Takes "The Journey" Home to Announce First Recipients of Kidde Worry-Free Smoke Alarms

DICKSON, Tenn., Feb. 11, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Craig Morgan, one of country music's best-loved artists, along with the Tennessee State Division of Fire Prevention, the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation and Kidde Fire Safety, announced today the first group of fire departments to receive Kidde smoke alarms during the singer's VA Mortgage Leader Presents Craig Morgan The Journey Tour. The donations are part of Kidde's "Be a Safety Hero" initiative, which highlights five simple steps to fire safety with support from Morgan, who is a spokesperson. Kidde, a leading manufacturer of residential fire safety products, is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

The alarm donation kicked off at Dickson City Fire Department in Black River Entertainment recording artist Craig Morgan's hometown. In all, Kidde will donate 5,000 of its new Worry-Free 10-year sealed battery smoke alarms to fire departments at stops during Morgan's 2014 tour – a $125,000 retail value. The alarms will then be installed in homes in need throughout each community.

"As a former first responder, I've seen the damage home fires can cause. Many home fire deaths are preventable, and I want to do what I can to help keep families safe," said Morgan. Before embarking on his music career, the country music star previously worked as an emergency medical technician and assistant sheriff's deputy in Dickson County. In 2011, Craig put his EMT training to use and rescued two children from a burning house in his home state.

The National Fire Protection Association reports approximately 3,000 people die in home fires in the U.S. every year, with most fires happening during the winter. Two-thirds of residential fire deaths occur in homes with either no smoke alarm or no working alarm.

Kidde's "Be a Safety Hero" program focuses on these five steps to safety:

1. Replace outdated smoke alarms (older than 10 years old) with units featuring a 10-year sealed-in battery. Kidde's Worry-Free line provides a decade of continuous protection with no low-battery chirps.
2. Place fire extinguishers on every level of your home and make sure they are within reach.
3. Install UL-listed carbon monoxide alarms on each floor and near bedrooms.
4. Develop and practice an escape plan with your family. Know two ways out of each room.
5. Show your commitment by taking and sharing the pledge at www.alarmpledge.com. You will help your family and help reduce the risks that firefighters face when responding to a home fire.

"Kidde's mission is to help save lives, and we are pleased to work with Craig on this campaign," said Chris Rovenstine, vice president, sales and marketing, Kidde. "Dead or missing batteries are the main reasons smoke alarms don't sound in a fire. By providing sealed-battery smoke alarms to local fire departments, we can help protect families who otherwise may not be able to replace an outdated alarm."

In addition to Morgan's hometown of Dickson, Tenn., fire departments in Buffalo, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Austin, Texas; Phoenix and San Diego will receive Kidde Worry-Free alarms. Additional departments will be added throughout the year as Morgan crosses the country on tour.

To learn more about the steps or to take the pledge, visit www.kidde.com or follow the company on Twitter: @KiddeSafety.  

About Kidde
Kidde is a leading manufacturer of residential smoke alarms, carbon monoxide (CO) alarms and fire extinguishers, and has been delivering advanced fire-safety technology since it produced the first integrated smoke detection and carbon dioxide extinguishing system more than 90 years ago. Kidde is a part of UTC Building & Industrial Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., a leading provider to the aerospace and building systems industries worldwide. For more information, visit www.kidde.com or follow @KiddeSafety on Twitter.

Multimedia Assets associated with this release:
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwkzLgPndBE
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SOURCE Kidde