PEARL Protected Redefines Home Safety with

Permanent Escape And Rescue Ladder
Company announces availability of first-of-its-kind safety device during

National Fire Prevention Week

 

(ATLANTA) October 11, 2005 - Since 1922, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has sponsored National Fire Prevention Week to promote awareness about fire prevention and safety in communities across the nation. It is during this time of increased national fire safety awareness and education that PEARL Protected announces the availability of its flagship product, the Permanent Escape And Rescue Ladder (PEARL). PEARL is a revolutionary, first-of-its-kind home safety device that is permanently installed into the wall space below upper-story windows. This device allows homeowners to quickly and easily escape or be rescued in the event of a residential fire or other home emergency.

 

With the launch of this patented device, PEARL Protected is redefining the standards of home and fire safety. Not since the invention of the smoke alarm more than 30 years ago has a permanently-installed fire safety product provided such an easy-to-use mechanism for saving lives.

 

According to the NFPA, there were approximately 400,000 reported home fires in the U.S. in 2004, resulting in 3,190 civilian deaths, 13,700 civilian injuries and $5.8 billion in direct property damage. Many of these deaths and injuries occurred in second- and third-story residences where a secondary means of escape was not available. While smoke alarms and fire extinguishers are widely available to detect and to suppress fire, the issue of escape is not adequately addressed in today's homes. Furthermore, a recent NFPA survey indicated that while 95% of homes have smoke alarms, 25% of them do not work.

"PEARL closes the gap in fire safety for two and three story homes," said PEARL chief safety officer Jim McMullen, former California State Fire Marshal and current forensic fire safety expert.  "A good residential fire safety plan addresses detection, suppression and escape. This permanently installed device focuses on the most important aspect - the need to escape or be rescued from danger."

 

Unlike portable fire and other escape ladders, PEARL's "always there" functionality offers unprecedented ease of use and peace of mind for today's homeowners. Because the device is permanently installed into the wall space beneath upper-story residential windows, it does not require residents to follow tedious assembly instructions in the midst of a crisis, making PEARL the equivalent of the "airbag for the home." PEARL is easy enough for children or the elderly to use, the two groups most susceptible to injury or death in residential fires.  To use, residents only need to Open, Throw and Go!™: open the window, throw out the ladder and go to safety. Additionally, PEARL can be installed in as little as 30-minutes and blends with any room décor.

 

PEARL Protected is marketing the PEARL escape ladder device to both homeowners and builders, who will offer PEARL as a standard safety feature in new homes. The company recently signed its first customer, Boise Building Solutions Distribution, one of the largest wholesale building material distributors in the nation. Boise will immediately begin distribution of PEARL to Florida's new home construction market and to its customers throughout the state.

 

"Boise has the capability and maintains a marketing focus to supply builders with the most innovative and quality materials available throughout its market area. We look for opportunities to introduce new products to our customers and PEARL has provided us with that opportunity. PEARL gives our customers a chance to truly differentiate themselves by making their companies synonymous with home safety," said Rick Hunter, Orlando branch manager, Boise Building Solutions Distribution.

 

PEARL also features:

 

PEARL Protected is currently available through leading building supply distributors and homebuilders nationwide. PEARL is also available to consumers online at www.PEARLprotected.com or via phone at 800.374.5737.

About PEARL Protected
Headquartered in Decatur, Georgia, PEARL Protected is redefining the standards of home and fire safety through its patented, flagship product - PEARL - a revolutionary Permanent Escape And Rescue Ladder that can be quickly and easily deployed in the event of a residential fire or other home emergency. It is currently available through a variety of channels, including the nation's largest homebuilders and building supply distributors. PEARL can also be ordered directly through the PEARL Protected website (www.PEARLprotected.com) or via phone at 800.374.5737. PEARL will soon be available for in-store purchase at leading home improvement retailers nationwide.

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For more information, contact:
David Duley, Co-founder and CEO
PEARL Protected
1.800.519.1887
david@pearlprotected.com

For press inquiries, contact:
Hannah C. Bower
Bower Communications
404.247.1123
hannah@bower-communications.com