DID YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE HOME FIRES LESS DEADLY?

BLAKE BOUTILLIERFT104 2/18/10PROF. FREEMAN

IN REGARDS TO A FIRE IN YOUR HOME, THAT THE DEATH RATE RISK HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY UNCHANGED OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS.

The death rate per 1000 home fires in 1977 was 8.1 . In 2008 that number was 7.2 . Not very much improvement for 31 years.

HOW IS THAT NUMBER STILL SO HIGH AND HOW CAN WE BRING IT DOWN?

DID YOU KNOW?

WHILE RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRES ACCOUNT FOR ONLY 25 PERCENT OF FIRES NATIONWIDE, THEY ACCOUNT FOR A DISPROPORTIONATE SHARE OF LOSSES: 83 PERCENT OF FIRE DEATHS.

FOUR OUT OF FIVE U.S. FIRE DEATHS IN 2005 OCCURRED IN HOMES .

Major Death Rate Risk Contributors:-Absent or Not Working Smoke Alarms-Alcohol-Winter Holidays-Unsupervised Children-Matches/Lighters-Smoking-Mattress/Bedding Fires

DID YOU KNOW?

A 2008 SURVEY FOUND THAT 96% OF U.S. HOUSEHOLDS HAD AT LEAST ONE SMOKE ALARM, YET IN 2003-2006, NO SMOKE ALARMS WERE PRESENT OR NONE OPERATED IN TWO OUT OF THE FIVE (41%) OF THE REPORTED HOME FIRES.

ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF REPORTED HOME FIRE DEATHS IN 2003-2006 RESULTED FROM FIRES IN HOMES WITH NO SMOKE ALARMS OR NO WORKING SMOKE ALARMS.

FROM 1996–98, 55% OF HOME FIRES WITH FATALITIES HAD NO ALARM PRESENT OR OPERATING

MAKE SURE YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR WORKS!

When smoke alarms fail to operate, it is usually because batteries are missing, disconnected, or dead.

DID YOU KNOW?

A WINTER HOLIDAY FIRE CARRIES TWICE AS MANY FATALITIES AS AN AVERAGE DAY FIRE.

WHEN CHRISTMAS TREES ARE THE MATERIAL FIRST IGNITED IN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES, FATALITIES PER FIRE ARE EIGHT TIMES HIGHER THAN FIRES IGNITED BY OTHER MATERIALS.

IN 1996-1998 THERE WAS ON AVERAGE 20 HOME FIRES A DAY ON DEC. 25 AND DEC. 26 SET BY CHILDREN PLAYING WITH FIRE.

IN 1996-1998 THERE WAS ON AVERAGE OVER 50 HOMES A DAY ON DEC. 31 AND JAN. 1 SET BY CHILDREN PLAYING WITH FIRE.

ANSWER: SUPERVISION MEANS YOUR CHILDREN ARE LESS LIKELY TO PLAY WITH AND START A FIRE.

DID YOU KNOW?

CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS AGE TWO CAN STRIKE A MATCH AND START A FIRE.

WHICH IS STATISTICALLY A MORE DEADLY FIRE? ONE CAUSED ARSON, OPEN FLAME, OR CHILD’S PLAY.

Reason: People may not be home during an arson, but more than likely will be home during a child’s play fire.

ONLY 19% OF ALL FIRES IGNITED BY LIGHTERS AND MATCHES OCCURRED IN RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES IN 2002. THESE FIRES, HOWEVER, ACCOUNT FOR APPROXIMATELY 80% OF ALL FATALITIES. 

Keep your lighters and matches in one safe place away from children.

DID YOU KNOW?

SMOKING IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF FIRE-RELATED DEATHS.

ONLY 4% OF ALL RESIDENTIAL FIRES WERE REPORTEDLY CAUSED BY SMOKING MATERIALS IN 2002. THESE FIRES, HOWEVER, WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR 19% OF RESIDENTIAL FIRE FATALITIES.

That fatality rate is increased by a product of 4.

DEATHS PER THOUSAND HOME FIRES 1ST PLACE: SMOKING RELATED- 25.12ND PLACE: CHILD’S PLAY- 14.0The average deaths per thousand in a home fire- 6.5 persons

MANY SMOKING FIRES ORIGINATE IN THE BEDROOM, LATE IN THE NIGHT WHEN THE VICTIMS ARE SLEEPING. MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, THE VICTIMS WERE INVOLVED WITH STARTING THE FIRE ITSELF.  New York was the first state to investigate making fire-safe cigarettes available to its residents, and in 2004 New York passed a law requiring the sale of fire-safe cigarettes.

DEATHS FROM MATTRESS/BEDDING FIRES ARE MORE THAN TWICE THOSE FROM ALL RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURE FIRES.

Today, the CPSC is developing a new standard that will require mattresses to be resistant from ignition not only by cigarettes but also open flame sources such as candles, matches, and lighters.

AS AN INDUSTRY, IF WE COULD FOCUS OUR RESOURCES ON MORE PROACTIVE EDUCATION TO THE PUBLIC SECTOR ON THESE HIGHER DEATH RISK CATEGORIES, RESULTS WOULD SHOW A DECREASE IN LOSS OF LIFE PER FIRE.

NOW YOU KNOW.