Maitland City Talk

Fire safety messages – How important are they?

It has long been known to fire and life safety managers that there are principally two groups of society that are at greatest risk from the ravages of fire – the very young and the aged. The similarities between the two groups and the reasons for the risks are striking. While we’re not inclined to analyze those similarities here, we are inclined to discuss the approaches to providing safety measures for both groups in as much as those measures, like the risks, are so similar.

According to a 2010 report by NFPA (National Fire Protection Association):

“Children under age 5 are almost one and a half times as likely to die in a home fire as the average person… Adults over the age of 65 are more than twice as likely to die in home fires as the average person. Alcohol or other drugs, disabilities and age-related limitations are all factors in the risk of home fire death.”

The NFPA further notes:

“In 2010, cooking was involved in an estimated 156,400 home structure fires that were reported to U.S. fire departments. These fires caused 410 deaths, 5,310 injuries and $993 million in direct property damage. Cooking caused 44 percent of reported home fires, 16 percent of home fire deaths, 40 percent of home fire injuries, and 15 percent of the direct property damage in 2010.”

The following is a snapshot of some of the facts:

• Unattended cooking was by far the leading contributing factor in these fires.

• Two-thirds (66 percent) of home cooking fires started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials.

• Clothing was the item first ignited in less than 1 percent of these fires, but these incidents accounted for 14 percent of the cooking fire deaths.

• Ranges accounted for the largest share (58 percent) of home cooking fire incidents. Ovens accounted for 16 percent.

• Three of every five (58 percent) reported non-fatal home cooking fire injuries occurred when the victims tried to fight the fire themselves.

• Frying poses the greatest risk of fire.

• Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires.

While many of the statistics are not actually seen in many regions, the threat is still very real and fire officials across the country want our residents and visitors of all ages, but especially those at greatest risk, to be as safe as possible. The following are some sample recommendations to help ensure safety:

• Take steps to examine attitudes and awareness of the threats:

Eliminate lackadaisical attitudes about storage of combustibles;

Recognize the threat especially where the very young and the very old are present.

• Be proactive in preventing risky behaviors that increase the threats of fire:

Only keep and store combustibles that are necessary;

Where storage is necessary, keep those items outside of the living areas including attached garages.

• Have a plan:

Put EDITH (exit drills in the home) into your action plan;

Never leave the very young or the aged alone.

Contact the local fire service agency for support and help.

Although not an exhaustive list of precautions, it is a good start. Local fire service organizations generally encourage the public to contact them, even inviting them to our homes for fire safety evaluation. Internet searches reveal a great deal of public service information about this and other safety precaution. Readers are encouraged to consider going to NFPA’s website, nfpa.org, for that purpose. The National Safety Council’s website at nsc.org is another valuable resource for safety information.

Let’s all be safety conscious.