The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) has demonstrated effective promotion of residential smoke alarms for high-risk populations. The Residential Fire Injury Prevention Project was designed to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of three different strategies to increase smoke alarm use in targeted communities. MDPH’s Injury Prevention and Control Program tested strategies to increase homes with functioning smoke alarms. One strategy was tested for each of three low income, urban communities whose fire injury rates were well above the state average and which had significant rates of poor minority households with elderly and children under age 6. In Community A, the intervention included a home visit, baseline questionnaire, fire safety education, and smoke alarm installation. In Community B, the intervention included a home visit, baseline questionnaire, education, and coupon for free smoke alarms. In Community C, intervention consisted of a public education campaign, recruitment and baseline questionnaires and offer of free smoke alarms. Follow-up home visits were made to assess smoke alarm use and maintenance. Process monitoring was accomplished through documentation of state and local program activities, key participant interviews, and observation. Outcome measures included observation of presence, location and functionality of smoke alarms in homes at program inception and 12 months later. The voucher method for distributing and maintaining smoke alarms appears to be most effective to increase working smoke alarms in high risk residences in urban communities.
Learning Objectives: Design a program in the most cost-effective manner Recognize collaborations and community participation as a means of reducing cost Apply results of presented project to their own projects to make them more cost-effective
Keywords: Injury Prevention,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.