Technology for Smoke-Free Homes

Technology for Smoke-Free Homes! – a unique national program to prevent fire damage and accidents in the home – has been launched in Hungary. The aim of the campaign is to raise public awareness of the problem of burning and smoke and their harmful consequences, while providing information, sensitization and technological tools to help prevent fires and accidents.

The niche initiative was announced by the three partners, the Hungarian Firefighters Association (MTSZ), the Hungarian Insurance Association (MABISZ) and füstmentes.hu at a press conference organized at the Kaposvár Volunteer Firefighters and Lifesaving Association, the Hungarian acronym of which (KÖTÉL) means ‘rope’.

As a first step of the program, the partners will assess the public's knowledge of fire safety in order to target the areas where they see the greatest need for knowledge development with the educational campaign. In addition to sharing useful information, providing the right technological background is crucial, as the correct use of a smart device can save lives.

"Domestic fire statistics show that the greatest danger in dwelling fires is caused by carbon monoxide and smoke – 90% of victims die from smoke, not flames. This could be avoided by installing a simple smoke detector, which is affordable for very many people. The smoke detector gives a signal and an audible alarm within about a minute after the smoke appears, thus allowing the occupants to leave the apartment in time, which is especially important at night," Major General Tibor Dobson, President of the Hungarian Firefighters Association emphasized.

In the first round of the campaign, 700 smoke alarms are planned to be distributed to residential properties – with the participation of volunteer firefighters – in several parts of the country. In addition to installing the devices, the volunteers will also provide information on the correct placement of smoke alarms to residents and monitor the operation of the installed smoke detectors for a year. At the end of the test period, a survey will be carried out again on the use and effectiveness of the devices.

A number of educational programs and awareness-raising information materials will be published throughout the year as part of the ‘Smoke-free Homes’ program.