This Year For Fire Prevention Week, Thank a Firefighter!

Fire is a frequent topic of safety discussions because it is a primal force that strikes fear in the heart of man and beast. It is also a relatively common occurrence compared to other disasters, and can cause severe damage to people as well as structures.

Raising awareness about fire safety is a priority of fire departments. October 3-9 is the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) official Fire Prevention Week. The NFPA has been the official sponsor of Fire Prevention Week for nearly 90 years, and has made great strides in the area of fire safety for the public.

It took a great tragedy to encourage the development of a week dedicated to fire safety. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire roared through Chicago, leaving more than 100,000 people homeless and 17,000 structures destroyed. While most people believe a cow started the fire, many historians note other possible culprits. Fire Prevention Week was established to commemorate the fire, and marked the start of fire departments’ role in education and prevention, in addition to the physical acts of fighting fires.

Fire Prevention Week reinforces the basics of fire safety to the public. The theme of this years’ Fire Prevention Week is Smoke Alarms: A Sound You Can Live With! The NFPA is making a big push for smoke alarms to be installed, properly upgraded and maintained in residential and commercial buildings.

The NFPA has several initiatives for this years’ Fire Prevention Week which are offered to fire departments and other similar agencies for fire education initiatives:

Video Tutorials and Audio PSAs:

• A video about smoke alarm safety includes information about the benefits of interconnecting alarms, testing alarms, checking for expiration dates and regularly replacing batteries.

• Downloadable MP3 audio files that discuss fire alarm safety.

How can building owners participate in Fire Prevention Week?

• Distribute free safety materials from the NFPA, FEMA and other agencies
• Review your overall fire safety plan including evacuation routes, location of extinguishers, rules on stairwell and elevator usage, etc.
• Invite your local fire department to fire safety activities. Firefighters are sometimes willing to conduct special events such as parades. Organize an interactive event where employees and facility management can speak directly to firefighters.

Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity for building owners to engage staff and employees in preventing the threat of fire. To learn more about fire safety, review the many fire-related topics that we have covered in previous posts, including: fire evacuation procedures, flammable materials, extinguishers and sprinkler systems, and fire hazards.

When a disaster strikes, prior planning and clear decisive action can help save lives.  For the latest emergency management training for facility/building managers, contact RJ Westmore, Inc. Our new Version 2.0 e-based training system offers the best emergency training system with automated and integrated features. Visit RJWestmore.com for more information and remember to BE SAFE.

Using only a fraction of the water used by fire department hoses, home fire sprinklers save lives, reduce property loss and help cut insurance premiums. In addition, 90% of fires are contained by the operation of just one sprinkler.

Fire sprinklers are economical, reliable and proven to be the best way to protect your family and home from the dangers of fire.

That should be comforting news for you and your family when you consider that 4,000 people die in fires each year – 80% of them in home fires.

If you’re considering fire sprinklers in your home, visit the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition for more information.

If your home already has sprinklers and you have questions, check out these videos that address common concerns.

RJWestmore continues to do all that it can to promote life safety for your and your loved ones. We hope that you’ll check back often for updates, news and lifesaving tips whenever possible.

That’s why we’ve compiled a few good resources on teaching kids about fire safety.

The first is FireSafety.gov, which has lots of great activities, including crossword puzzles, coloring pages, a matching game, and a fire safety quiz that offers an official junior fire marshal certificate upon completion. Just for fun, we’ve tested out all of these activities and they’re well worth the visit to the site. In addition, the site’s animated moderators, Marty and Jett, guide kids through the lessons, enhancing the experience even more.

From the National Fire Protection Association comes Sparky.org – with everyone’s friend, Sparky the Fire Dog. Kids can learn all they need to know about fire safety through activities like “Fun with Fire Trucks,” “Ask Sparky,” “Sparky’s Arcade,” and “Hot Diggity Dalmatians.” When they’re finished having fun while learning, children can send e-cards to friends and family for special occasions.

PBS KIDS Sprout – at SproutOnline.com – reminds kids to “Practice Fire Safety Every Day.” Fireman Sam and friends have plenty of ways to teach the importance of fire safety with the “Hot & Cold Game,” make-your-own fire safety badges, video safety tips, and more.

Parents – you never know when fire will strike. And we at RJWestmore hope it never does. But the reality is, it could happen to you and your family. So, please, prepare your children by practicing fire safety. It can be educational and fun when you use the resources provided here.

Good luck, and BE SAFE!

• If you’re moving to a new home in a rural area or buying land to build a new home, do a thorough outdoor fire safety check before you proceed. Locate the home on the lot with adequate setback from downhill slopes. Wildland fire travels uphill rapidly – make sure that your home won’t be in its path.
• Make sure that the area has adequate public fire protection available. Will emergency vehicles have easy access to the house? Is you address clearly visible from the road. Will firefighters have access to a water supply to put out a fire?
• Make your roof fire-safe. Untreated-wood shake roofs are the leading cause of wildland fire losses. A roof made of fire-resistant or noncombustible materials can make your home safer. Also, use non-combustible (metal) screening in eave vents and for windows.
• Sweep gutters, roofs and eaves regularly and remove dead branches from around or near chimneys. Burning firebrands or embers can collect in the same space that leaves and pine needles do. Remove leaves and needles from cellar window walls and from corners and crevices around the outside of your home.
• Create a survivable space, safety zone or “fire break” around your home. Flammable (highly resinous) plants, woodpiles and debris should be kept as far away as possible from the exterior walls of the home. Fences, decks or outbuildings connected to the house must be considered part of the house; construct them out of non-combustible materials and keep them clear of pine needles, dried leaves, etc.

For even more safety tips, visit the Firewise Communities Web site.

Fire departments nationwide responded to nearly 400,000 home fires in 2006, but by practicing extra caution, preventing the leading causes of home fires – cooking, heating, electrical and smoking materials – is within your power.

First, here are some statistics you should know:

•    Cooking fires are the #1 cause of home fires and home-fire injuries.

•    The majority of home fires – 40% – start in the kitchen.

•    Unattended cooking is the leading factor contributing to ignition in home cooking fires, accounting for one-third of such fires. More than half of all cooking fire injuries occurred when people tried to fight the fire themselves.

•    Electric ranges and stoves have a higher risk of fires, deaths, injuries and property damage, compared to gas ranges and stoves.

•    Lamps, light fixtures and light bulbs accounted for the largest share of 2002-2005 non-confined fires among major types of electrical distribution equipment, while cords and plugs accounted for the largest share of civilian fire deaths.

•    Cords and plugs were involved in one-eighth (12%) of the 2002-2005 home electrical distribution and lighting equipment fires, but roughly two-fifths (39%) of associated civilian deaths.

•    Smoking materials (i.e., cigarettes, cigars, pipes, etc.) are the leading cause of fire deaths in the United States. Roughly one of every four fire deaths per year from 2002-2005 was attributed to smoking materials. There were an estimated 82,400 smoking-material fires per year in the United States. These fires caused 800 civilian deaths and 1,660 civilian injuries.

•    During 2005, an estimated 15,600 home structure fires started by candles were reported to local fire departments. These fires resulted in an estimated 150 civilian deaths, 1,270 civilian injuries and an estimated direct property loss of $539 million. Homes include dwellings, duplexes, manufactured housing and apartments.

•    The top five days for home candle fires were Christmas, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Halloween.

Now that you have the facts, how do you actively put fire-prevention practices into motion?  Follow this handy guide:

•    Make sure electrical cords are in good condition.

•    Plug appliances and lights into separate electrical outlets. Never overload outlets with too many cords.

•    Test batteries in smoke detectors and replace when needed.

•    Clear escape routes of clutter to ensure easy access.

•    Remove curtains and other flammable items from the vicinity of stovetops.

•    Turn off portable space heaters when not in use, and always place them at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn.

•    Clean vent and filters around your house, especially in the clothes dryer.

•    Use extension cords safely – not under carpets or across walking areas.

•    Have furnaces and chimneys inspected every year.

For more information on Fire Prevention Week and how you can prevent devastating fires, visit www.nfpa.org.