Rainbow Injury Prevention Center

Reviews of fire and burn-related deaths in Northeast Ohio have indicated that working smoke alarms are rarely present in these homes.  Smoke alarms play a key role in alerting occupants of danger and giving them an opportunity to get to safety before it is too late.  Most smoke alarm distribution programs involve simply handing out free or low-cost smoke alarms to the public and taking it on faith that the alarms will actually be used and installed correctly, but a free smoke alarm that ends up at the bottom of a closet cannot save any lives.  Additionally, when smoke alarms are installed in inappropriate areas, like kitchens, families may be frustrated by repeated false alarms and be tempted to remove batteries, thus negating the safety value of having an alarm. 

The Rainbow Injury Prevention Center works on the premise that the best way to ensure that families are using smoke alarms—and using them properly—is to provide assistance with installation.  The Center partners with community groups and local fire departments to arrange for trusted members of the community to go into homes to provide fire safety education, install smoke alarms, and replace batteries in existing alarms.  One ongoing partnership between the Center, the Greater Cleveland Safe Kids Coalition, the Shaw High School Fire Academy, and the Red Cross Greater Cleveland Chapter has led to the installation of more than 500 free smoke detectors in East Cleveland since the program began in 2005, while a recent partnership between Rainbow, the Red Cross, El Barrio and the Spanish American Committee led to the installation of more than 300 smoke alarms in a high risk neighborhood on Cleveland’s west side.