GENEROUS DONATIONS HELP LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS

Items will support two OSFM programs

SPRINGFIELD—Today, Illinois State Fire Marshal Matt Perez accepted generous donations from the Chicago Fire Department and home safety company FirstAlert. The donations will provide materials for the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal's Fire Equipment Exchange Program and Smoke Alarm Program.

"These items will give local fire departments more access to lifesaving tools," said State Fire Marshal Matt Perez. "I want to thank the Chicago Fire Department and FirstAlert for their investment in the wellbeing of all Illinoisans."

Chicago Fire Department has donated 40 Hurst tool sets to the Fire Equipment Exchange Program. Hurst tools, better known as "jaws of life," are hydraulic (or sometimes battery-powered) rescue tools used by first responders to extricate victims from car accidents. This donation includes cutters, spreaders, rams, and some power units, which will benefit smaller departments in Illinois.

The Fire Equipment Exchange Program allows local fire departments in Illinois to donate, buy, sell or trade used fire equipment with each other in order to better meet each department's needs. These new tools will aid these departments and help save lives across the state.

FirstAlert has generously donated 250 smoke detectors to the State Fire Marshal's Smoke Alarm Program, which is administered by the OSFM's Fire Service Outreach Division. The program offers free smoke alarms to Illinois Fire Departments for installation in homes of those in need, as well as some state-licensed human service agencies. In FY2015, the program installed 1,500 smoke alarms, more than doubling the previous year's total.