Fire Prevention News: Weekly Roundup – April 3, 2012

1. Campaigns / Other Fire Prevention Efforts
2. Campus Fire Safety
3. Inspections/Code enforcement
4. Smoke Alarms
5. Sprinklers
6. Wildland Fire Safety
7. Fire safety tips and reminders
8. Other Safety News
9. Smoke Alarm Saves
10. Sprinkler Saves
11. International News

Links to Fire Prevention-related news articles – Updated 04/02/2012

Campaigns/ Other Fire Prevention Activities

1. Fire chiefs hail smoke alarm initiative – Canada – Functioning smoke alarms in homes could reduce annual fire deaths by up to 32 per cent, according to a …
2. Harlingen Fire Department Handing Out Free Smoke Detectors The fire department is giving away three hundred free smoke detectors to people living in Harlingen after receiving a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Firefighters say that anybody living within the city limits is invited …
3. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue launch grass fire prevention campaign – UK – The annual grass fire prevention campaign has been launched by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue. The “Flames aren’t Games” campaign aims to highlight the dangers of deliberate grass fires. This is after recent statistics showed there were …
4. Franklin County firefighters to take safety program to Head Start classes – Fire departments across the county are working with the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services to launch a fire prevention program for preschool age children in Head Start programs. The “Safe Start” program was …
5. Mobile Fire-Rescue officials to provide fire safety materials to Baldwin– On Monday, the Mobile Fire-Rescue Department’s Public Education Division will be delivering fire safety education materials to all elementary schools in Baldwin County, about 18 schools…
6. State money helps Rockton buy smoke detectors –  Greg Stanley reports on the growing northern communities of Roscoe, Rockton and South Beloit. He covers everything from the schools and municipalities to business openings and courts.
7. Verona students warm up to fire safety with help of Belleville …Students crawl through smoky conditions and toward an open window during an evacuation drill inside the St. Barnabas Burn Foundation’s Fire Safety Home.
8. Austin High School Fire Tech Students help install smoke detectors

Campus fire safety

1. Mother of victim in Marist tragedy promotes fire safety in Woodbridge

Inspections / Code enforcement

1. City Manager: Fire Tragedy May Urge More Landlords To Comply … to see the interior of the house and know there were only one smoke detector–which was installed improperly and a second one which didn’t work at all.

Smoke Alarms

1. Plea to residents to test smoke alarms Assistant chief fire officer Craig McIntosh said residents were more than four times as likely to die in a fire if their smoke alarm was not working.
2. Fire chiefs hail smoke alarm initiative Functioning smoke alarms in homes could reduce annual fire deaths by up to 32 per cent, according to a …
3. Harlingen Fire Department Handing Out Free Smoke Detectors The fire department is giving away three hundred free smoke detectors to people living in Harlingen after receiving a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Firefighters say that anybody living within the city limits is invited …
4. Who is responsible for smoke detectors? – … , one smoke detector was not properly positioned in the home where nine people died over the weekend. So you may be wondering if tenants or landlords are responsible for smoke detectors.
5. Atlanta Fire to take back faulty smoke detectors – The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department will replace possibly faulty smoke detectors given to Kirkwood residents. Representatives from the fire department plan to visit homes on Clay Street this weekend to check and replace smoke and carbon .
6. You and the Law: It’s 2 a.m. — Where are your smoke alarms? Next week: We look at the ABCs (and Ds) of selecting a fire extinguisher, and what you need to know about fire safety if buying or selling a home.
7. State money helps Rockton buy smoke detectors –  Greg Stanley reports on the growing northern communities of Roscoe, Rockton and South Beloit. He covers everything from the schools and municipalities to business openings and courts.

Sprinklers

1. Gurnee’s updated building code will likely require sprinklers … require all new residential construction to include fire sprinkler systems when … Requiring residential sprinklers would be the biggest change after a …
2. County says sprinklers not needed for 1- or 2-family homes – The commissioners passed an amendment to the International Residential Code in May 2011 that sprinklers are not mandated, but there was confusion whether that took precedence over the 2006 International Fire Code passed by commissioners that included ..
3. Bill mandates sprinklers for homes – Supported by Lower Shore Sen. Jim Mathias, the measure specifically prohibits local jurisdictions from making their own laws to weaken fire and life safety provisions of state building codes. Maryland Building Performance Standards require sprinklers ..

Wildland Fire Safety

1. Bend Neighborhood Earns ‘Firewise’ Designation Harold Brainerd, resident of Rimrock West since 1978, said: “Some of our residents were apprehensive about the assessment, fearing that fire prevention …
2. Escalating fire danger compels caution For more information about fire prevention, go to Larimer.org. Caution is in order from all of us. South of Denver, a wildfire raged over a 7-square-mile …
3. Lead gets $45000 Firewise grant –  The city of Lead has received a $45000 Firewise grant. The money will allow the city to continue work to clear brush and other flammable materials from a 200-foot perimeter around residential properties to reduce the hazard of wildfires.

Safety tips and reminders

1. Take ownership of fire safety: deputy chief Take ownership of fire safety: deputy chief. The fire department can only do so much once a fire occurs, which is why it is so important to have working …
2. Personal plan effective in fire safety – Both old and new homes are susceptible to fire but knowing what to do in case of fire can save your life. Until there’s a clear sense of what happened at Hidden Cedars it will be difficult to say how this deadly fire might have been prevented.
3. Experts Share Essentials for Home Fire Safety A fire in Charleston rocking our … Next in emergency kit, just as important as the smoke alarm is, a battery
4. Fire Safety Escape Plan email After the devastating fire in Charleston, fire fighters are stressing the importance of not only having smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, but also an escape route. Captain Kevin Price with the Beckley Fire …
5. Fire safety: The minimal cost for maximum protection A recent tragedy in Charleston has, once again, brought to light the great importance of installing smoke detectors in your home and place of business. Saturday morning, a house fire occurred near St. Albans that has now …
6. Fire Safety for People with Disabilities –  For years, the Mountain State has had one of the highest fire death rates in the country. Unfortunately, since more than 30 people in our state have already been killed in a fire this year, it doesn’t look like those numbers are going down anytime soon .

Other Safety News

1. Elderly have increased risk of dying in a fire
2. 4-year-old hero saves family from fire Friday the Jemez community and governor honored the preschooler who had learned about fire safety in his Head Start class. “Once I found out that he was the ..
3. Agency says West Virginians twice as likely to die in fires Nationally, more than 90 percent of American homes supposedly have a smoke alarm, said Deputy State Fire Marshal Carol Nolte. The state Fire Marshal’s …
4. 8-year-old sets home on fire; required to join prevention program – Fire crews say an 8-year-old boy is to blame for lighting his house on fire. This fire broke out last week, but this week authorities forced the boy to enroll in a program that teaches kids fire …
5. USFA Guide Highlights Community-Wide Fire Safety – The concept behind fire-adapted communities is that with proper community-wide preparation, populations and infrastructure can withstand the devastating effects of wildland fire.
6. Fire safety sparks savings – As a result of work to upgrade equipment, increase training and decrease response times, the Boone Fire Department has obtained improved protection class ratings in both the city and rural fire districts — which means property owners could see savings ..
7. Downers Grove Fire Department educator named ‘Educator of the Year’ As the Public Education /Information Coordinator for the Downers Grove Fire Department, Giesler teaches “Learn Not to Burn”, a fire safety and injury prevention program for grade school children. Through a series of monthly classroom visits,
8. Alabama fire-related deaths down 30% in 2011

Smoke Alarm Saves

1. 3 Escape House Fire in Mercer County inside did manage to escape the fire safely. Firefighters said the fire started near the gas stove, …

Sprinkler Saves

1. Auto dealership fire stopped by sprinkler system Fire crews closed the sprinkler valve to stop the water flow and began opening doors to … No other sprinklers flowed water or created water damage.
2. Resident of senior apartments injured in early morning fire Sprinklers were activated in the room, she said. Fire damage was minimal. Water from the sprinkler system covered half the first floor, she said.

Fire Prevention News: International

1. Plea to residents to test smoke alarms Assistant chief fire officer Craig McIntosh said residents were more than four times as likely to die in a fire if their smoke alarm was not working.
2. Fire chiefs hail smoke alarm initiative – Canada – Functioning smoke alarms in homes could reduce annual fire deaths by up to 32 per cent, according to a ..
3. Fire brigade warns of danger of careless smoking “North Wales Fire and Rescue Service also offer free home fire safety … During a home fire safety check, a member of the Service will visit your home, ..
4. Staffordshire Fire and Rescue launch grass fire prevention campaign – The annual grass fire prevention campaign has been launched by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue. The “Flames aren’t Games” campaign aims to highlight the dangers of deliberate grass fires. This is after recent statistics showed there were …