Prevention News

Fire Prevention News

“Escape and Wait” Could Be Next “Stop, Drop and Roll”
(International Association of Fire Fighters)

March 13, 2008 – Undoubtedly, “Stop, Drop and Roll” has saved lives since its introduction several decades ago. But two Royal Oak, MI Local 431 fire fighters say that when it comes to fire safety procedures, planning an escape route needs to be emphasized more. Dan Phillips and Cary Thompson have launched their own educational tool called “Escape and Wait.”

The “Escape and Wait” method is developed for children, but can be used by adults as well. Families are asked to:

1. Escape from the fire or hazard
2. Not go back inside
3. Wait outside for the fire department
4. Ask a neighbor to call 911

To accompany the program, Phillips and Thompson developed a pentagon-shaped sign to post outside the home. The sign is designed to be posted at the location the family plans to meet and wait for fire fighters. “During the stress of a house fire, it becomes difficult for anyone to remember what to do,” says Phillips. “If you have a sign outside and have practiced your escape plan, it is much easier to act quickly.”

Phillips and Thompson created “Escape and Wait” in 2007. It is currently being taught in local Michigan schools and Safety City USA, a fire safety program administered by an area hospital.

The Local 431 fire fighters are hoping to take the campaign nationwide. If there is interest outside Michigan, Phillips and Thompson are willing to serve as consultants over the phone or provide on-location training.
To learn more about the program or to purchase an “Escape and Wait” sign, visit the campaign web site.

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Newer Homes Burn Faster: Fire Experts Say
(The Ottawa Sun)

March 8, 2008 - The materials used to build new homes cause them to burn faster, making the work of firefighters more difficult and dangerous, say fire officials.

For the past two decades, the window of time to fight fires has been shrinking because many highly
flammable materials, such as vinyl and glue, are more common in new homes.

"The nature of newly constructed buildings is such that high fire temperatures are reached much earlier,
making rapid fire spread more of a threat to occupants and firefighters," said Peter Kennedy, president of
the Ottawa Professional Fire Fighters Association IAFF Local 162.

Kennedy wants the department to hire more firefighters, so they can get to locations faster.

Deputy Fire Chief Bruce Montone agrees that lightweight construction materials pose problems for firefighters. "Buildings today, primarily residential, are failing with direct flame impingement in under 10 minutes. They are literally falling apart," he said.

But Montone said the city has enough firefighters --they're just limited in how much they can do to combat
rapidly spreading fires.

He said firefighters received rapid fire training in 2003 and 2004 and again last year, between September
and November, after three firefighters were injured fighting a fire on Forward Ave. in February 2007; they
were forced to jump from the third-storey to escape a fast-spreading fire.

Builders began changing the way they construct homes back in the 1970s, after the energy crisis, says John
Herbert, executive director of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association.

Herbert said the federal government asked the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation to research and
develop more energy-efficient homes. "So what's happened over the last 20 years is the technology has become available to use more and more waste products that were previously just burned," said Herbert, who agrees with fire officials' concerns because it "makes a certain amount of logic."

For example, molding sections (found around doors and above floors) are made up of scrap pieces and glued
together. Herbert said some moldings are constructed from sawdust and glue. "Once you paint it, you would never know it's not wood ... these kinds of materials are much more prone to rapid fire," said Herbert.

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The Norman Fire Department Wants to Keep You Safe and Warm This Winter
 
December 5, 2007 - As the temperature outside drops, families take to the indoors to keep safe and warm. What they may not realize is that turning up the heat can increase the risk of home heating fires.
 
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), nearly half of all home-heating fires occur during the winter months. The latest NFPA research shows that heating equipment was involved in 62,200 reported U.S. home structure fires in 2005, with associated losses of 670 civilian deaths, 1,550 civilian injuries, and $909 million in direct property damage.
 
“While these numbers are frightening, nearly all of these fires are preventable,” said Dean Green Fire Inspector. “We can reduce the number of home heating fires in our community by taking some simple precautions and using heating equipment properly.”
 
The Norman Fire Department recommends some simple home heating safety tips, so residents can help keep our community safe and warm this winter.

• Space heaters need space. Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
• Turn portable heaters off when you go to bed or leave the room.
• Plug power cords only into outlets with sufficient capacity and never into an extension cord.
• Inspect for cracked, frayed or broken plugs or loose connections. Replace before using.
• Have your chimney inspected each year and cleaned if necessary.
• Use a sturdy fireplace screen.
• Allow ashes to cool before disposing. Dispose of ashes in a metal container.
• Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. For the best protection interconnect all smoke alarms throughout the home — when one sounds, they all sound. Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
• Install and maintain a carbon monoxide alarm in a central location outside each sleeping area.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.

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Keeping Families Safe in Our Community
(http://www.energizer.com)

October 19, 2007 - Change Your Clock Change Your Battery® is a national home fire safety program sponsored by Energizer® batteries and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, with more than 5,900 fire departments participating nationwide. This program, now in its 20th year, has evolved to urge Americans to change smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector batteries when changing their clocks back to standard time. The time change occurs this year on Sunday, November 4.

With a reminder as crucial as Change Your Clock Change Your Battery, we're also increasingly challenged with reaching people where they live – in the community and at home. That's why now more than ever, we're looking to the support of fire departments to drive home our lifesaving message at the local level.
For that reason, we have created a guidelines kit containing tried-and-true suggestions for implementing the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery program in your local community and building awareness through the help of local media and business partners.

Access the electronic version of this year's Change Your Clock Change Your Battery Guidelines Kit. If you have any trouble or special needs, please call the Change Your Clock Change Your Battery Hotline at 314-995-3939, ext. 104. You must have Adobe® Acrobat® Reader to view or print these files.

• 2007 Program Guideline Kit PDF Format, 4.08Mb
• Bilingual Safety Programs Diagrams/Brochure
     PDF Format, 1.10Mb
• Children's Worksheet and Coloring Page PDF Format, 1,62Mb
• Home Escape Plan Grid PDF Format, 101KB
• 2007 Ad/PSA & Graphic Materials PDF Format, 944KB
• 2007 Banner Order Form PDF Format, 163k
• 2007 Battery Request Form PDF Format, 123KB

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WILDFIRE PREVENTION

The threat of wild land fires for people living near wild land areas or using recreational facilities in wilderness areas is real. Preparing for wild land fires and protecting structures in the wild land has special challenges. Here are a few things you need to know.

Design and landscape your home with wildfire safety in mind. A distance of 100-150 feet around your home needs a comprehensive landscape approach. Select materials and plants that resist fire rather than fuel it. Use fire resistant or non-combustible materials on the exterior of the dwelling. Or, treat wood or combustible material used in roofs, siding, decking or trim with UL approved fire-retardant chemicals.

Before

• Maintain a 30 foot defensible space around your home to act as a fire break.
• Clear a 10 foot area around propane tanks and the barbecue.
• Regularly dispose of newspapers and rubbish.
• Regularly clean roof and gutters.
• Landscape in zones around your house.
• Rake leaves, dead limbs and twigs. Clear flammable vegetation from around and under structures.
• Remove dead branches that extend over the roof.
• Ask the power company to clear branches from power lines.
• Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from your home. Clear combustible materials within 20 feet of the fire wood and use only UL-approved wood burning devices.
• Follow local burning regulations.
• Store flammable materials in approved safety cans.
• Inspect chimneys twice a year. Clean them at least once a year.
• Use ½ inch mesh screen beneath porches, decks, floor areas and the home itself. Also, screen openings to floors, roof and attic.
• Install smoke detectors on each level of your home, and in your bedrooms; test monthly and change the batteries twice a year.
• Keep handy household items that can be used as fire tools: a rake, handsaw or chain saw, bucket and shovel.

When Fire Threatens

• Listen to your radio for reports and evacuation information.
• Back your car into the garage or park it in an open space facing the direction of evacuation. Close doors and windows. Leave the key in the ignition. Close garage windows and doors, but leave them unlocked.
• Confine pets to one room. Plan for their care if you must evacuate.
• Arrange for temporary housing outside the threatened area.
• If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Tell someone when you are leaving and where you are going.
• If you evacuate your home place a note on the door indicating when you left and where you are going.
• Wear protective clothing-sturdy shoes, cotton or woolen clothing, long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, hat, gloves and a handkerchief to protect your face.
• Lock your home.
• Choose a route away from fire hazards. Watch for changes in the speed and direction of fire and smoke.

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Preparations for Wildfire in Rural and Urban Oklahoma
(OSFA - The Oklahoma Firefighter)

More and more people in Oklahoma are making their homes in wildland areas - in or near heavy bush, cedar trees, black jack and oak forests, tall grasses and numerous other forms of highly combustible vegetation. The threat of wildland fires for people living in these areas is real. Wildfire often
begins unnoticed and spreads quickly, igniting dry grasses, leaves, brush trees, outbuildings and homes; they sometimes claim human lives. The risks can be reduced if people will prepare their property and their family before the fire comes sweeping down the plains.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been instrumental in preparing people for disasters for several years. Wildfire is one of the disasters FEMA deals with and they offer some good advice on how to reduce the risk. The reduction of risk can be accomplished through a 4-step approach by (1) designing and landscaping with wildfire safety in mind; (2) by practicing fire prevention; (3) by designing plans for wildfire; and (4) by following pre-determined emergency procedures.

(1) Design and Landscape with Wildfire Safety in Mind.

Select materials and plants that can help contain fire rather than fuel it. Use fire resistant or non-combustible materials on the roof and exterior structure of the dwelling. Wood or other combustible material on roofs, siding, decking or trim of existing structures should be treated with UL-approved fire-retardant chemicals. These retardants will degrade from exposure to the sun and weather and will need to be reapplied periodically to provide continued protection. For example, use hardwood trees such as oak, pecan and walnut - rather than evergreen, cedar or pine.

Create and maintain a 30-by-50 foot safety zone around your home. Homes built in pine or cedar forests should have a minimum safety zone of 100 feet. Within this area, thin a 15-foot space between tree crowns and remove limbs within 15 feet of the ground. Fifteen feet of clearance between a stovepipe or chimney outlet and tree branches and shrubs is also recommended. Electric lines should be installed below ground if possible.

Special attention should be given to vulnerable areas of the home, such as the roof, vents window, and under floors, stairs and decks. Any opening of the roof such a turbine ventilators, or vents in the eave can provide easy points for embers to enter the attic. These areas and the areas beneath floors" stairs and decks can be protected to some degree by the installation or 1/2" (or less) mesh screen.

Windows can provide very easy access for embers to enter the home if left open. They should always be
closed when wildfire threatens. Protective shutters or heavy fire-resistant drapes will lessen the chances of radiant heat igniting combustibles inside the home.

Another important component of home and landscape design that many people fail to consider is accessibility for emergency response personnel. You must make sure that fire vehicles can get to your home. Driveway entrances should be clearly marked, displaying your name and address.

(2) Practice Fire Prevention.

Prevention of fire in your own neck of the woods is your responsibility to your family and to your neighbors. Your efforts should begin with teaching your family, particularly children, about fire safety.

The chimney of a wood burning stove or fireplace needs to be cleaned and inspected regularly and have a spark arrester cap installed. Roof valleys and gutters must be kept clean of leaves and twigs that could ignite from flying embers. Leaves, dead limbs, twigs and other rubbish should be removed from under structures.

Firewood should never be stacked close to the house. The recommendation is to stack it at least 100 feet uphill from the home with a minimum of 20 feet clearance from other combustibles. Propane, gasoline and other fuels should always be stored in proper containers in a safe location away from the home with a minimum 10 feet clearance from vegetation and other combustibles.

Proper disposal of fireplace and grill ashes is very important, particularly during wildfire season. Ashes should be placed in a metal bucket, soaked in water for two days, and then buried in dirt or sand.

People in rural areas who choose to burn trash must do so within the safety zone and with considerable caution. Always cover the burn barrel or other metal container with 1/2" (or less) metal grate or mesh. Wet down the area around the fire and have a water hose long enough to reach 100 feet downwind.

Never leave the fire unattended; wet down the ashes and the surrounding area before leaving. Outside burning, welding, metal cutting and other fire activities that could create flying embers, sparks and the like should be postponed during red flag fire alerts and burn bans.

(3) Design Plans for Wildfire.

The third step in reducing your risk is designing plans for wildfires. Wildfires are much different than home fires and require more detailed plans. But, not unlike home escape plans, plans for threatening wildfire need to be specific to your individual situation. They should be reviewed prior to each fire season, modified as needed and practiced. Remember, your plans need to be designed specifically for your family and your property, but here are some things you should consider:

Emergency Supplies

When wildfire threatens, you won't have time to shop or search for supplies. Assemble a disaster supplies kit and items you may need if advised to evacuate. Store these supplies in sturdy, easy-to-carry containers such as a backpack, duffle bag or trash container.

• A three-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day) and food that won't spoil.
• One change of clothing and footwear per person and one blanket or sleeping bag per person.
• A first aid kit that includes your family's prescription medications
• Emergency tools including a battery-powered radio, flashlight and plenty of extra batteries.
• An extra set of car keys and a credit card, cash or traveler's checks.
• Sanitation supplies.
• Special items for infant, elderly or disabled family members.
• An extra pair of eyeglasses.
• Keep important family documents in a waterproof container. Assemble a smaller version of your kit to keep in the trunk of your car.

When Wildfires Threaten

If you know that a wildfire is threatening your area, stay tuned to local TV and radio for reports and evacuation information. Follow the instructions of local officials.

• Back your car into the garage or park it in an open space facing the direction of escape. Shut doors and roll up windows. Leave the key in the ignition. Close garage windows and doors, but leave them unlocked. Disconnect automatic garage door openers.
• Confine pets to one room. Make plans to care for your pets in case you must evacuate.
• Arrange temporary housing at a friend or relative's home outside the threatened area.

If you're sure you have time, take steps to protect your home:

Inside:

• Close windows, vents, doors, Venetian blinds or non-combustible window coverings and heavy drapes. Remove lightweight curtains.
• Shut off gas at the meter. Turn off pilot lights.
• Open fireplace damper. Close fireplace screens.
• Move flammable furniture into the center of the home away from windows and sliding-glass doors.
• Turn on a light in each room to increase the visibility of your home in heavy smoke.

Outside:

• Seal attic and ground vents with pre-cut plywood or commercial seals.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Place combustible patio furniture inside.
• Connect the garden hose to outside taps.
• Set up the portable gasoline-powered pump.
• Place lawn sprinklers on the roof and near above-ground fuel tanks.
• Wet the roof.
• Wet or remove shrubs with 15 feet of the home.
• Gather fire tools.

(4) Follow Pre-Determined Emergency Procedures.

• If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.
• Wear protective clothing - sturdy shoes, cotton or woolen clothing long pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves and a handkerchief to protect your face.
• Take you disaster supplies kit.
• Lock your home.
• Tell someone when you left and where you are going.
• Choose a route away from fire hazards. Watch for changes in the speed and direction of fire and
  smoke.
• Do not drive into heavy smoke. The vehicle may stall and not re-start.
• In heavy smoke you could strike another vehicle or emergency personnel. Turn around; find another way.
• You could easily become disoriented and drive directly into the fire.
• Your vehicle provides minimum protection against a raging wildfire.

From the central, west and north tall grass prairies, to the evergreen pines and oak forest of the south and east, Oklahoma is a diverse and beautiful geography. Oklahomans who live in 'wildland' areas must be prepared when wildfire strikes on their homestead.