Here are recent Fire Chief's columns from
The Arizona Republic
City
of Phoenix Public Information Office - News Clippings - azcentral.com
- October 4, 2008
We all can work to make our homes, families safer
On behalf of the Phoenix Fire Department, I’d like to take the opportunity this month to thank our community for their support in the recent 2008 City of Phoenix Community Attitude Survey. Your Phoenix Fire Department was ranked as the highest service delivery unit in the system and we pledge to continue that service.
It’s no secret that the City has a difficult budget cycle ahead and we are still recovering from last year. So the fact that many of you took the time to recognize our firefighters and the work that they do in emergency medical services and fire suppression means a great deal to all of us. Thank you for ranking us number one!
It just so happens that October kicks off Fire Prevention Week and promotes fire safety. Phoenix in some ways follows national trends. Sadly we’ve seen that with fire deaths. It’s hard to believe that last year in the United States, over 3,400 people lost their lives in fires. Over 80 percent of those people died in their homes.
That is almost a national increase of ten percent. What’s just as disturbing is that over 17,000 people in the US had fire burn injuries, which equates to a burn injury every 30 minutes. Any person who has visited the Maricopa Burn Center would understand how devastating these injuries can be. Certainly there is nothing worse than losing a loved one, but you can’t overlook those burn injuries and the loss of one’s home and all of their possessions. Simply said, the devastation can be unbearable.
There are some things we all can do to keep our homes and families safe. Really, this is based on the individual decisions that we make. Recently, I got fed up with figuring out which of my smoke alarms needed new batteries. I elected to change all of them at once so that I could make a sweeping change once a year instead of piece-mealing those different smoke alarms in the house.
We know for a fact that those smoke alarms will buy you time to get out of the house which can save your life. It’s probably the simplest thing you can do and when you least expect it, it can help you the most. Along with this we always tell our community to think about two ways of exiting every room in your home. Remember that a fire plays by no rules. It consumes fuel and oxygen and grows at a rate exponentially in temperatures that increase to over 1,200 degrees!
Most families suffer fire fatalities after they go to bed at night. Picture yourself being disoriented in the middle of the night trying to gather your family to make a safe exit. We can get there, rescue you if we have to, but it is always better for us to be able to just put the fire out and save your belongings. Remember that a fire has no conscience and will take your life by smoke or heat. It can happen in just minutes.
The best case scenario – some smoke and fire damage to your home and a safe exit. The worst case scenario – multiple fatalities. We are asking for your help to ensure the best case scenario.
Technology is always improving. I am currently working with the Chicago Fire Department and Underwriter Laboratories along with other national agencies to examine the best types of smoke alarms and fire suppression systems in the United States. I would strongly recommend that folks pay attention to reports on consumer products and pay specific attention to purchasing electrical goods that have an Underwriter Laboratories approval on them. The standard provides some assurance that the product has been tested.
In the past few years we have also determined that smoke alarms that are over ten years old could be at a point where their mechanics are failing, so another advisory is to replace those smoke alarms that are ten years old or older. There are over 400,000 residential fires each year in the United States. Our greatest hope is that you would never have to suffer a house fire, but in the event that you do, please stack up all the odds in your favor:
- Install and maintain several smoke alarms within your home - outside sleeping areas for sure.
- Change your batteries every six months unless your alarm uses long-life lithium batteries.
- Identify two exits out of each room of where you live.
- Plan and practice escape routes. Practicing your escape plan greatly increases your chances for a safe escape.
- Replace smoke alarms after ten years.
We know that this time of year things start to cool down. We use fireplaces, space heaters, warming fires outside. We see an increase in fire activity and will continue to do so as temperatures drop. So get out in front of this changing season and help us to protect you and your home. Be safe!
Send comments to Bob Khan at firechief.pfd@phoenix.gov or call (602) 26-CHIEF.