For the second year running, Clipsal and Schneider Electric employees continued their volunteering efforts for the Julian Burton Burns Trust (JBBT) to help increase fire safety awareness to thousands of South Australian school children.

Around fifty Schneider Electric volunteers helped pack 5,000 bags in association with the JBBT educational program containing materials to educate young students and their parents on the importance of fire prevention and safety around the home.

The bags will help children aged 5-13 to learn the facts about house fires, how to identify fire hazards around the home and ways that that the whole family can be prepared.

“Schneider Electric has played a major part in supporting us on many levels,” Julian Burton says.

“From activities such as packaging bags to helping us educate more families, to the Community Grants program, which is partly funded by a 50 cent donation from every Clipsal smoke alarm sold, Schneider Electric is an important partner for us. Packing bags may not seem like a big job, but as a result of this effort we will be able to hand these out to 5,000 students. That’s 5,000 families who will be more educated about fire safety, which could save lives.

“On behalf of everyone at the Burns Trust, we would like to say a big thank you to Schneider Electric and its employees who have volunteered their time,” Julian concluded.

The bag packing coincides with the national ‘Change your Clock, Change your Smoke Alarm Battery’ initiative, which begins on October 6 to encourage households across Australia to change their smoke alarm batteries.

In addition to changing the battery, smoke alarms should be checked regularly to ensure they are working, and after 10 years, they need to be replaced. When replacing a smoke alarm, householders should be aware that there are two different types available – photo-electric and ionisation smoke alarms. The photo-electric device detects visible smoke and slow smouldering fires, making them suitable for most locations including near kitchens and in caravans. Ionisation devices detect particles of smoke for fast flaming fires.

Clipsal by Schneider Electric offers both these solutions, with 50 cents from every smoke alarm sold going to benefit the Julian Burton Burns Trust.