August, 2005
Don't be Lazy about Fire Safety!
I don’t think of myself as being lazy. I prefer to
think of any procrastination on my part being due to the fact that I am
“particular” as to which job I undertake. After all, a guy can only do
so much, and, over the years, I have observed that for every job
completed on the “honey do” list another seems to appear. I preface my
article with this admission so that you will understand, especially the
guys, that I realize there is the potential for dire consequences
associated with this article - work. Read on, if you dare.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – More than 3,000 people
die each year in fires, according to a new study released by the Federal
Emergency Management Agency’s U.S. Fire Administration. Michael D.
Brown, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for
Emergency Preparedness and Response and FEMA’s Director, called the
special report, Fatal Fires, “alarming. Residential structure fires, the very place people
should feel the safest, unfortunately account for the vast majority of
fatal fires,” said Brown. “What’s most worrisome is that in a full
two-thirds of these fires, smoke alarms are missing or not working.”
More than two thousand people died in 2003 in homes
with non-working smoke alarms! How can that be? In 1973 America
Burning was released; it was The Report of the National
Commission on Fire Prevention and Control. The Report, “urged
Americans to protect themselves and their families by installing… alarms
in their homes.” At the time of the publication of the report it was
estimated that 12,000 people died annually as a result of fire (there
was no National reporting system). That number dropped to 6,200 in 1989,
and to 3,300 in 2003, which is a significant decline. Would not 1000 be
even better? Michigan had 112 residential fire fatalities in 2002 with
21 operational alarms, and 115 residential fire fatalities in 2003 with
20 operational alarms. These numbers equal over 80% of the homes not
having working smoke alarms, numbers very much like those of 1973.
Why are thousands of people killed annually in
homes without smoke detectors? I think there are several reasons:
- Antithesis of Chicken Little’s complex – In other words we
don’t think the sky will ever fall or our house will ever burn (also
sometimes referred to as the “it will never happen to me” complex.
- Higher fiscal priorities – “Gosh, if I buy a smoke
detector for each floor, I won’t have enough to buy ____.” (fill in the
blank with beer, cigarettes, go to the casino, milk, shoes, etc.) Two
smoke alarms are less than twenty dollars. Isn’t the life of your loved
one worth twenty bucks?
- Genuine financial problems. Smoke alarm programs are
available for people who are in need. If you can’t afford to buy smoke
detectors we can get you one for free.
- I’ll do it tomorrow. These people intend to do it; they
just haven’t gotten around to it yet.
I must admit that I may be being somewhat pious
about this. I just replaced my smoke detectors recently. Replaced? Did
he just say replaced? Oh, yea, I forgot to mention that smoke detectors
require maintenance. If you don’t have a unit with a lithium battery,
the batteries must be changed every six months. AC powered units should
be replaced after ten years. Additionally, it’s a good idea to vacuum
your units occasionally to make sure that there isn’t an accumulation of
dust or spider webs.
Please, make my job easier and purchase and
maintain a smoke detector at least for every floor of your house. You
see, there is a very good chance that I could be the person notifying
your survivors that you were killed because you didn’t have a smoke
detector.
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