TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Preventing deaths and injuries from house fires: an outcome evaluation of a community-based smoke alarm installation programme JO - Injury prevention A1 - Istre, Gregory R. A1 - McCoy, Mary A. A1 - Moore, Billy J. A1 - Roper, Carey A1 - Stephens-Stidham, Shelli A1 - Barnard, Jeffrey J. A1 - Carlin, Debra K. A1 - Stowe, Martha A1 - Anderson, Ron J. SP - 97 EP - 102 VL - 20 IS - 2 N2 - BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the impact of community-based smoke alarm (SA) distribution programmes on the occurrence of house fire-related deaths and injuries (HF-D/I). OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the rate of HF-D/I differed for programme houses that had a SA installed through a community-based programme called Operation Installation, versus non-programme houses in the same census tracts that had not received such a SA. METHODS: Teams of volunteers and firefighters canvassed houses in 36 high-risk target census tracts in Dallas, TX, between April 2001 and April 2011, and installed lithium-powered SAs in houses where residents were present and gave permission. We then followed incidence of HF-D/I among residents of the 8134 programme houses versus the 24 346 non-programme houses. RESULTS: After a mean of 5.2 years of follow-up, the unadjusted HF-D/I rate was 68% lower among residents of programme houses versus non-programme houses (3.1 vs 9.6 per 100 000 population, respectively; rate ratio, 0.32; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.84). Multivariate analysis including several demographic variables showed that the adjusted HF-D/I rate in programme houses was 63% lower than non-programme houses. The programme was most effective in the first 5 years after SA installation, with declining difference in rates after the 6th year, probably due to SAs becoming non-functional during that time. CONCLUSIONS: This collaborative, community-based SA installation programme was effective at preventing deaths and injuries from house fires, but the duration of effectiveness was less than 10 years.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1353-8047 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/injuryprev-2013-040823 ID - ref1 ER -