Save A Life Saturday puts worry-free safety devices in Colorado homes

ARVADA, Colo. – Through a collaborative program called Operation Save a Life, Arvada Fire put fire and carbon monoxide alarms in a handful of Arvada homes on Saturday.

This week, the Operation Save a Life campaign supplied the fire and carbon monoxide detectors to at-risk residents and aimed to educate the population on fire safety.

The manufacturer, Kidde Fire Systems, has donated nearly 1.3-million smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to fire departments across the country. Locally, they've donated 7,000 alarms to participating metro Denver fire departments. 

Here is a list of participating departments:

• Arvada Fire Department
• Cunningham Fire Department
• Denver Fire Department
• Evergreen Fire Department
• Fairmount Fire Department
• Golden Fire Department
• Greater Brighton Fire Department
• Littleton Fire Department
• Loveland Fire Rescue Authority 
• North Metro Fire Rescue
• South Adams County Fire
• South Metro Fire Rescue
• Thornton Fire Department
• West Metro Fire Department

Denver7 followed Arvada Fire on Saturday as officials went door-to-door with fire and carbon monoxide detectors in hand.

Amber Jones and the men and women of Arvada Fire made sure residents' detectors were installed in the correct places, and the devices were up-to-date.

"We'll put a new one in here, then get one in the bedroom. If there's one in the hallway, we'll replace that one too," Jones said while talking to an Arvada resident.

"This one's expired. We can give you a new one," she told another resident who opened her home to the fire officials.

This is one way the donated alarms were distributed. However, Jones said participating departments have varying distribution methods.

All of these alarms are considered Worry-Free, developed with a 10-year seal-in battery. 

This, after Kelton conducted a recent survey on behalf of Kidde. The study found millions of U.S. homeowners said a smoke alarm's low battery chirp is their number on home fire safety complaint.

The National Fire Protection Association, NFPA, found that missing or disconnected batteries is the main reason smoke alarms fail to operate in residential fires. 

This Saturday, Save a Life encouraged people living in the Denver Metro area to visit participating Home Depot stores to learn more about fire and carbon monoxide safety. 

Residents were directed to six Home Depot locations in Arvada, Glendale, Lakewood and Denver to learn about fire safety and to purchase fire alarms.

A spokesperson for Kidde told Denver7 if residents didn't have the resources to purchase an alarm, they could go pick up a device at the Denver Fire Headquarters, located at 745 West Colfax, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. next Saturday, April 8.

When it comes to Colorado fire laws and legislation, as of July 1, 2009, all single and multi-family homes equipped with a fossil-fuel burning heater, appliance, fireplace or attached garage were required to have carbon monoxide alarms installed within 15 feet of the entrance to all rooms used for sleeping.

This is necessary upon permit for new construction, renovation or upon sale or transfer of the living space. 

Click here for more information about Operation Save a Life, a collaboration between Kidde, Denver7, The Home Depot and Denver Fire Department.