Fire Prevention News: Weekly Roundup – February 22, 2011

Links to Fire Prevention-related news articles – Updated 02/21/2011

Campaigns/ Fire Prevention Efforts

Magician shares tricks, safety message with Marion County kids – Fire safety programs for elementary schools teach children year after year what to do if their home catches fire, a serious and possibly …
Fire experts: Stay low, go – Thanks to donations from some serious safety advocates, pre-schoolers in Lawrence County will be getting a head start in learning fire safety. Monday, the children at the Lawrence County Early Childhood Academy Proctorville Head Start …
Fire death rate prompts public safety campaign – Also, as part of the launch of a new fire safety public awareness campaign by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission on Children and Disasters, the US Fire Administration has released a new report on the risks that fires …
Death of heroic teen in house blaze inspires fire-safety fair Lerisa Arteaga, 12, gets makeup before a fashion show as others wait during Sunday’s fire safety and prevention fair at Hickory Hollow Mall. The girls modeled dresses from Lily’s Bridal and Formal Wear

Campus Fire Safety

Nothing to report

CO Detectors

New Law Means You Need a Carbon Monoxide Detector in Your Home – Starting this summer all existing homes with attached garages, fireplaces or any gas appliances must have a carbon monoxide detector. …
Lawmakers Consider Requiring Carbon Monoxide Detectors At Schools – State lawmakers discussed a bill Tuesday that would require schools to have carbon monoxide detectors. The proposed law comes from state lawmakers representing Waterbury, where earlier this winter 30 students were sent to the …
Lauren Project to conduct local carbon monoxide survey The Windsor Community Foundation, the Windsor-Severance Fire Department and students from Windsor High School are preparing to participate in a safety survey for the Lauren Project. ..
Homeowners required to install carbon monoxide detectors by July – New laws requiring all homeowners to have carbon monoxide detectors by July, 2011 and requirements to have EPA certified workers make any repairs that involve more than six square feet in size are just a few of the topics that California Association of …

Inspections / Code enforcement

Gallatin fire prompts city to inspect group homes It appears the facility at 683 Hartsville Pike had never been inspected for fire safety by either city or state agencies. State Fire Marshal’s Office spokesperson Christopher Garrett said the state would only have inspected the building if it received …
Fire marshal cuts place burden on towns The county provides fire code enforcement responsibility to 13 of the county’s 37 municipalities, county officials said, including Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Chesilhurst, Gibbsboro, the Blenheim section of Gloucester Township, Haddonfield, …
Bill proposes legalization of fireworks The taxes generated from firework sales — which Damon estimated at anywhere from $500000 to $1 million — could not only be used to help buoy departments’ bottom lines but could also to educate residents about fire safety.
10 of 11 Camco fire marshals expected to be laid off The county provides fire code enforcement responsibility to 13 of the county’s 37 municipalities, county officials said, including Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Chesilhurst, Gibbsboro, the Blenheim section of Gloucester Township, Haddonfield, …
Prevention: Efforts to detect, prevent fires can be costly City budget cuts have led to a significant drop in the number of buildings being inspected for fire code problems in the city. And fire suppression systems or electronically monitored smoke detectors, which are often credited with saving save lives and …
Landmark Md. hotel closed for fire code violations – The Maryland State Fire Marshal has closed a historic hotel in downtown Frostburg for fire code violations uncovered after a partial roof collapse last year. Deputy State Fire Marshal Bruce Bouch (bowtch) says 30 people have been ordered to leave …

Smoke Alarms

Fire Marshal’s Office To Give Free Smoke Alarms -Over the next several weeks, fire prevention officials from the Tennessee Fire Marshal’s Office will hand out thousands of smoke alarms to fire departments across the state. The statewide effort will begin Wednesday, according to officials in the …
Onondaga County, city of Syracuse launch free smoke alarm program They are made available through the state Health Department, which in turn received a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. To learn more or schedule a home visit, those living in Syracuse should call the city …
Around the region: Tennessee hands out smoke alarms The state fire marshal’s office launched a three-day sweep of West Tennessee on Wednesday, giving away 2000 smoke alarms to fire departments across the region. The goal is to get fire departments and other organizations to install the free …
Fire agency to install smoke alarms for at-risk groups Rivers said the program started as a way to distribute smoke alarms that companies had donated to OCFA and to coordinate local volunteer efforts to educate people about fire safety. OCFA has received smoke alarms for the program from donors and …

Sprinklers

Bill Allowing Homeowner Choice On Fire Sprinklers Moves Forward – Inspector Charles Skornia from the Jefferson City Fire Department said he has never had to respond to a home with a sprinkler system installed.
Pa. firefighters push for home fire sprinkler mandate A state mandate requiring all new homes to have fire sprinklers has touched off a heated debate in the Legislature and a high-profile lobbying effort in the halls of the Capitol.
City Council Votes 6-3 To Require Sprinklers In Nightclubs By December 2013 – Councilwoman Ladd said a major fire at a nightclub would also put firefighters at risk. Michael Alfano, owner of the Comedy Catch in Brainerd, said he is unlikely to be able to save $137000 to cover the expense of a sprinkler system.
Fire sprinkler ordinance being prepared – Reading Since a mandate from the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry took effect the first of the year, new homes built in the commonwealth must have sprinkler systems, but Topton officials disagree with permitting antifreeze in them
Sprinkler systems now required in new homes – Hemet Fire Department chief Matt Shobert said the new state code requiring fire sprinklers on all new homes “provides for a consistent and safe approach in dealing with this issue.” California was one of the first states to incorporate in its codes the …

Wildland Fire Safety

South Florida could see heavy wildfire season “Even if it’s green, it will still burn in South Florida,” said Kathi Francis, fire safety specialist for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue. “Palmetto leaves have a very waxy, oily substance, and if it heats up it will explode. …
North Myrtle Beach firefighters certified as Wildland Firefighters After passing the physical portion of the test, the red card candidates completed a four hour class on wildland firefighting safety and emergency shelter deployment. They then had to demonstrate that they can deploy and enter a fire shelter. …
Spring fire hazard season now in effect As the weather turns and the ground begins to thaw, forest fire prevention is back on the minds of Kentucky law enforcement. Feb. 15 marked the first day of the spring forest fire hazard season, which stays in effect through April 30. …
Alabama Forestry Commission gives fire safety warning – Conditions are such that any fire can quickly spread out of control, threatening lives and property, as well as resulting in damage to Alabama’s forests. At this time, the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) has not issued any orders restricting burning …
Winter wildfires sprout A fire unit moves through the sprinkler streams on a charred fairway at the Wakefield Plantation golf course in northern Wake County. A brush fire driven by high winds scorched several greens on the course.

Other Fire Safety News

Editorial: Fire safety and children – As the National Weather Service reminds us, dry weather and wind increase the risk of destructive outdoor fires. But families also need to be aware of …
Safety Alert Issued On Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs State Fire Administrator Floyd A. Madison said the office has recently received inquiries concerning potential fire safety hazards associated with the use …
Children Under Age 5 to Account for 52% of Children Fire Deaths The State Fire Marshal’s Office says in 2007, the state of Florida reported 18 fatalities involving children under 16 and half of them were under the age of …
Family fire safety plans could save lives We don’t think about this (fire safety) until something of this nature happens,” says Marty Hamrick, who is a Division Chief with the Jonesboro Fire Department. According to the US Fire Administration, half of all child fire deaths involved children …
Developing a Fire Prevention Program for Your Community – When a local Boy Scout leader calls and says he’s working on fire safety, or when the Senior Center calls and wants a fire prevention presentation, are you ready to respond? Do you have specific presentations set up
Fire death rate falls in top 10 Stephanie Moffett, public relations contact for the Oklahoma Department ofHuman Services said FEMA is distributing Fire Safety and Prevention grants to groups in the states with the top figures for fire deaths, including Oklahoma, as part of the effort
State ranks fifth in fire deaths Install smoke alarms in or right outside each bedroom, test them monthly and replace smoke alarm batteries every year. Have a fire escape plan and practice it regularly, including a meeting place outside the home. Post emergency numbers and your …
Rules Of Fire Evacuation: Get Low, Get Out, Stay Out The Republican-Times is partnering with the Trenton Fire Department and area businesses to bring our readers a series of stories that will focus on fire safety. Over the course of seven weeks, story topics will include education, ..
Where there’s smoke That’s been the idea for 25 years behind the fire safety house used by the Salina Fire Department to demonstrate to area schoolchildren fire safety and how to escape a burning building. But there’s a new house on the …

Saves

Brothers put fire safety tips to use – Omaha MAKE a home escape plan. Draw a map of your home showing all doors and windows. Discuss the plan with everyone in your home. ..
Fire alarm credited with saving Westerly woman’s life Sayles said the woman heard the alarm, saw smoke in the hallway and called 911. The call came in to the Fire Department at 4:37 pm The fire was contained to …
Sprinklers douse apartment fire in South Portland – A sprinkler system knocked down a fire in a 12-unit apartment building on Feb. 8, preventing widespread damage and displacement of tenants. South Portland Deputy Fire Chief Miles Haskell said the electrical fire started in the bedroom …
Smoke detectors save two lives in Ashland fire – Smoke detectors helped two people get out of a burning house in Ashland early Wednesday morning. The fire broke out around 2 am on Joy Road. Fifteen firefighters responded and it took 15 minutes to get the blaze under control, …
Man Says Smoke Detector Saved His Life He heard the smoke alarm on the other side of the house and went to check it out. “I opened the door and came back into the living room, and I looked to my left, and the bedroom was on fire,” he said. Moments later, the house was gone, ripped apart by …

Fire Prevention News: International

All new homes in Wales set to have sprinklers – BBC A measure which will see all new homes in Wales fitted with automatic fire sprinkler systems is expected to be passed by the assembly later. The proposal has been put forward by Vale of Clwyd AM Ann Jones, who says there is a “compelling moral and …
Wales’ fire sprinkler law to save ‘avoidable deaths’ – new homes built in Wales will have to be fitted with automatic fire sprinklers after a new Welsh law was finally passed by the National Assembly. The Measure was passed last night, three-and-a-half years after first …
Market fights fire code order on curtains – Stores such as Sears and Walmart that hang drapes for sale should be held to the same fire code standards as his weekend market in Dartmouth, says Gary Janes. “It’s the same materials,” he said following an appeal to …