Fire Prevention News: Weekly Roundup – March29, 2011

Selected Fire Prevention related articles appearing in the past week from scores of e-sources in the news media. Updated each Monday morning.

Links to Fire Prevention-related news articles – Updated 03/28/2011

Campaigns/ Fire Prevention Efforts

Woodbridge firefighters offering to point out fire hazards in your home – While firefighters make periodic fire inspections of schools, apartment complexes and shopping centers, state laws do not require home inspections. The union cited statistics showing 70 percent of home fires and 84 of all fatal home fires in the nation
Fire awareness: Activity booklet promotes safety, preparedness The fire safety booklet is still new, having been handed out to elementary students in the last several weeks by Layton Fire Corps during its education presentation. And the booklet has already had its first revision — as it was originally called a …

Campus Fire Safety

Campus Fire Safety Advocates Seek Support WASHINGTON, DC — Advocates for campus fire safety are carrying their message to lawmakers on Capitol Hill today. The 33 people who turned out for the fourth annual Capitol Hill Day include college students, …
UT hosts Safety Forum – “I definitely give credit to the state fire marshal for campus fire safety progress.” Smith ended his presentation discussing fire safety’s biggest challenge: upgrading old buildings. Associate Dean of Students, Jeff Cathey, represented the bias …

CO Detectors

Carbon monoxide detector law begins April 1 – As of April 1, new homeowners and tenants who live in dwellings equipped with heaters or appliances that could produce carbon monoxide will be required to have …

Inspections / Code enforcement

City to begin fire inspections soon – Within the next few weeks the Monmouth Fire Department will begin doing fire code inspections. MFD Chief John Cratty said he expected the program to start in April and run through the fall. The department will be focusing on …
State laying off code inspectors The transition committee said the Division of Codes and Standards was supposed to be supported by its fees but ran a $7 million loss the previous year, subsidized in part by a $5 million surplus in the Division of Fire Safety. “Inspections of multiple …
Firefighters say transient-started blazes in abandoned buildings are on the rise Broschard said owners of vacant properties, usually banks, have a responsibility and are required by the county’s fire code to keep their buildings secured and unoccupied by trespassers. They should first be locked. If that does not deter transients, …

Smoke Alarms

Firefighters Checking on Smoke Detectors – Firefighters in Lisbon and Lisbon Falls are going to go door to door — checking on everyone’s smoke detectors. They’re hoping to prevent a tragedy like happened earlier this month, when two young girls died in a fire in Lisbon Falls, in a home..
Lisbon firefighters promote alarm use Lisbon firefighters will conduct door-to-door canvassing of Lisbon residences, offering to survey alarms in the home to ensure they were working — or to install free smoke alarms in homes. They also distribute informational brochures on fire …
Smoke Detectors – keeping them working and current can save lives Overall, three-quarters of all US homes have at least one working smoke alarm. – Smoke alarms sounded in roughly half of the home fires reported to US departments. – Sixty-five percent of reported home fire deaths from 2003 to 2006 resulted from fires …
Minneapolis firefighters install smoke detectors – Firefighters from the Minneapolis Fire Department will be out again Saturday installing smoke detectors in single-family homes on the north side of Minneapolis. Last Saturday, firefighters installed …
Free smoke alarms for those in need – Did you know the Fayetteville Fire Department will distribute free smoke alarms for those in need? Having a working smoke detector can save you and your family’s lives. The warning system gives you time to get out safely if there is a fire . …
Children Sleep Right Through Fire Alarms, Study Shows It’s not the first time I’ve wondered whether smoke alarms even do any good when it comes to rousing children. Now an Australian study’s got my answer, and it’s a definitive no. (More on Time.com: You Snooze, You Lose: More Weekend Sleep Cuts Kids’ …

Sprinklers

Hockessin civic group urges NCCo Council to delay vote on sprinklers – There are those who advocate for fire safety that potentially saves lives. And there is the homebuilders association that cites the costly nature of such an endeavor, which could stall a recovery in the housing market.
Greeley council to talk residential sprinkler systems – The city of Greeley’s new requirement for homebuilders to install residential sprinklers in any new home in Greeley has sparked some push back form area builders. The Greeley City Council will take up the issue in a work session at 6 pm, …
Another town votes against sprinklers – The town will not require builders of single- and two-family homes to have sprinkler systems installed following approval of a new ordinance. Earlier this week, Commissioners voted to opt out of a clause in the 2009 edition of the ..
NCCo needs a residential sprinkler law in place now – What put out the fire at The News Journal last year? This is not a money issue. It’s a “life safety” issue. Do you really think $3000 is going to stop someone from purchasing a new home? Sprinklers save lives! People do not die from fire in sprinklered …
PA fire official speaks out for sprinklers Curtis Alleman, the south central director of the Firemen’s Association of Pennsylvania, and first vice president of Cumberland County Volunteer Fireman’s Association came out strong against the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in an a piece he wrote for the Public Opinion in Chambersburg,PA. This month the House voted to repeal a new code requirment for fire sprinklers in new home construction.Alleman makes all the critical points in support of sprinklers — they are affordable, they are…
Plan for sprinklers fizzles for fire agency – County fire officials wanted cities to require sprinklers in remodeled homes, but some cities saw the idea as an intrusion. County fire officials didn’t expect such a fight. But these weren’t flames. It was politics. …

Wildland Fire Safety

NFPA Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Canada’s Partners in Protection The National Fire Protection Association has formalized its relationship with Partners in Protection, a Canadian non-profit association focused on reducing wildland fire loss. The two organizations have been involved with wildland-fire safety issues
Ready, Set, Go! Golden Gate Fire District launches brushfire awareness program “It works hand-in hand with other programs, including Firewise, to help us prepare with other agencies,” Metzger said. Packing emergency supplies beforehand with a personal checklist before a brushfire or other emergency occurs will ensure a quicker …
Sparse snow, rain warrant fire safety reminder – The American Southwest has had little precipitation this year, and the forecast doesn’t look much better according to a news release from the Forest Service. Lincoln National Forest officials remind the public to be safe when using fire in the Lincoln …
Wild land fire prevention – Abbie Burke is a general assignment reporter and covers school news in the “A+” segments. COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — Colorado Springs Firefighters are teaming up with TwoCor, a vocational institute that works with troubled youth, …
Forestry Operations’ fire prevention examined – An investigation of fire preparedness of forestry licensees has found that major companies are complying with the Wildfire Act, but some smaller operators are taking significant risks, according to Forest …
Carthage Fire Department to provide ‘firewise’ surveys Thompson told the Carthage City Council on Tuesday the department was offering “Firewise” surveys to residents of the city and the surrounding fire district. Thompson said a $2000 grant from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the US …
Create unwelcome environment for wildfires For information about wildfire safety in Larimer County, go to http://www.co. larimer.co.us/wild fire/. Mother Nature might be cruelly creating a dangerous wildfire situation, but humans have some tools to fight back. That’s one of the messages to be …
New York brush burning ban effective at reducing fires Wild-land firefighting can be very dangerous and when a regulation reduces the number of response it directly impacts Firefighter safety in a positive way.” “Every year in Onondaga County, a large number of brush fires occur during early Spring before …
Wildfire Demonstration Shows Ember Danger Thursday in Chester County, the Insurance Institute for Business and Safety demonstrated just how dangerous the wind-blown embers can be to homeowners. According to the IBHS Research Center, embers are the main cause of homes igniting during a wildfire …
4Firewise Tips on saving your home from wildfires – … the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Emergency Management Association, the US Fire Administration , the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the National Fire Protection Association, and state forestry organizations. ..
Homeowners urged to prepare homes for wildfire Kevin Klein with the Colorado Division of Fire Safety says homeowners should keep at least 50 feet between any structure and dry grass or woods. “Right now, it’s just a matter of making sure people take extra care to keep sources of ignition away from …

Other Fire Safety News

Sleeping With Doors Shut is a Good Fire Safety Tip – Bedroom doors should be kept closed while sleeping. The doors and walls of your home provide an excellent fire and smoke barrier to protect you in the event of a fire. When possible, remember to close doors to prevent fire and smoke from entering the …
Fatalities from fires highest in 13 years – Fire -safety education goes hand in hand with modern smoke detectors, sprinklers and fire alarms, all essential to keeping our citizens as safe as possible. Residential smoke detectors and fire alarms became readily available for sale in 1969
Specialists trained in fire safety share their tips In an effort to thwart future instances, experts are sharing their tips for prevention and fire safety. “The most important thing for people is to have a functioning smoke detector,” Chief Richard Lieder of the Cypress Creek Volunteer Fire Department …
Freakonomics: Putting out a fire before it starts Back in the day, it was mostly insurance companies who were driving the fire-prevention agenda. They insured buildings more than people. So on this one day, in one fire 100 years ago, 146 people died. But if you look at the numbers today in New York …
Md. Politics blog: Novelty lighters ignite Senate debate – Novelty lighters could not be sold in Maryland under a plan advanced today by the state Senate. Lawmakers argue that the toylike devices attract children and therefore pose a fire hazard. The Senate plan, which could gain final passage this week,
LFD to bolster fire prevention efforts with FM Global grant – The City of Louisville Fire Department has received a $1000 fire prevention grant from FM Global, one of the world’s largest commercial property insurers.
Clark County fire prevention bureau facing layoffs, cuts – Five employees in Clark County’s fire prevention bureau will be laid off in mid-April and eight vacant jobs will be slashed in response to anemic construction in the Las Vegas valley. The slowdown in construction has led to fewer sites that need …
Airmen fight fires before they even start Staff Sgt. Horace Conney, 407th Expeditionary Operation Support Squadron public education officer and fire inspector, and his team are spending their deployment educating the 15000 occupants on Ali Air Base, Iraq, about fire safety and fire prevention. …
Teach children matches are tools Develop a HOME FIRE ESCAPE PLAN and use SMOKE ALARMS to encourage fire safety awareness. Giving your children responsibilities in the home fire safety will encourage a positive attitude toward fire and will discourage misuse of fire and matches. …

Saves

Fire Chief: Sprinklers Saved Anderson County Business – It started at 11:30 pm Monday at Big Lots in the Lakeside Mall Shopping Center on the corner of Highway 28 Bypass and Highway 24. When firefighters got to the scene, they found two separate fires. A pile of cardboard was on fire ..
Sprinklers save factory in morning fire – Fortunately, Byers added, the room was equipped with a sprinkler system that “held the fire in check until the guys got to it and put the rest out.” No injuries were reported, and Byers said the business was back in operation later Monday.
Working Smoke Detector Saves Man From Fire The fire happened early Monday morning at a house on Perkins Road near Chillicothe in Jackson County, Ohio. Investigators say 29-year-old Jeremy Wood woke to the sound of the smoke alarm in his room. Wood then found fire and smoke was coming from the …
Carbon Monoxide detectors save family – Moderate readings of carbon monoxide were discovered inside the home on 28 Forest Street in North Attleboro just before 8 pm Wednesday night. The fire department used a device on scene to test the levels of carbon monoxide for all …
Smoke alarm alerts man to fire A smoke detector is credited with alerting a Mechanicsburg man that his house was on fire. The fire began about 1:30 am Friday at a residence on West Railroad Street. When firefighters arrived, flames were shooting about 30 feet into …
Smoke Detector Saves Family’s Life In Franklin Fire – Fire Officials in Franklin said smoke detectors saved residents’ lives in a fast-spreading fire early Sunday morning. All five residents at the 50 Lawndale Ave. home in Franklin made it out safe. Several family pets died from smoke …
Fire Dept.: Smoke detectors saved five in house – Working fire alarms are being credited with helping five people safely escape a first-alarm structure fire that broke out early Sunday morning, though several family pets succumbed to the smoke.

Fire Prevention News: International

Call for mandatory smoke alarms in rental properties Housing Minister Phil Heatley says the Department of Building and Housing will consider changing the building code to make it compulsory for landlords to install smoke alarms in rental properties. A coroner investigating the death of toddler in a house …
Fire lessons pay off for boy We were extremely fortunate that the only occupant at the time remembered his fire safety training at school and met us at the front letterbox, Mr Woodyatt said. It’s a great testament to fire safety being taught at schools for this young lad to …
Town urges residents to make fire plans The maximum number of Deep River firefighters that could respond to an emergency is nine, the review notes, while the minimum number of firefighters that would be required under the OFM’s public fire safety guideline “to conduct interior fire …