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Fire Safety
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 By Lt. Dan
Would you know what to do if a fire broke out in your home or apartment building? Do your family members or roommates know what to do? If the answer is yes, I am impressed and this should be a good refresher. If the answer is no, I am not surprised and you are not alone.
Your escape plan starts by planning ahead, not on the fly. Together a family or roommates will create an effective plan.
Start by making sure that smoke detectors are installed properly and in good working condition. My last article dealt with this subject, so check out our website for helpful tips and reminders.
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Fire Safety
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By Lieutenant Dan
Do you have a working smoke detector? Approximately 90 percent of American households have smoke detectors. However, one third of those detectors do not work. That leaves an astounding 40 percent without any kind of early warning system.
Smoke detectors save lives. That is one of the truest statements that I have ever heard. According to Chicago Fire Department statistics, fire related fatalities dropped to 18 in 2008 from 32 in 2007. The majority of those fatalities may have been prevented if those homes had working smoke detectors.
The decrease in fire-related fatalities can be directly attributed to a concerted fire-prevention effort. These efforts will persist in earnest until we meet our goal of zero fire fatalities. Fires will unfortunately continue, but the loss of life does not have to compound these tragedies.
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Fire Safety
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By Lieutenant Dan
“It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts.” – Sherlock Holmes from A Study In Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
People always ask us why we do what we do as fire fighters and police officers. Why do we block the entire street at a fire or crime scene? Why are we so adamant about keeping people away from these scenes? Why in the world would you be running into a burning building when everyone else is running out?
The last question is easy to answer. Some people think that we are a bit odd. I like to think that we are always ready to answer the call to service. Putting others ahead of one’s own self is a common theme in public safety. We are professionals who take our calling very seriously, with safety and security being the top priorities on a fire scene.
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Fire Safety
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By Lieutenant Dan
We are in the grip of a bone-chilling cold snap that does not appear to be ending any time soon. If that isn’t bad enough, the economy is running cold as well, which makes it difficult to pay your heating bills.
The two factors add up to finding an inexpensive way to survive and stay warm. Space heaters may save you money, but they also cost several thousand lives each year.
Just recently, several residential fires have been attributed to careless and often times unattended use of a space heater. Space-heater fires have cost the lives of a dozen people, mostly children, in the Chicagoland area this winter.
Several safety precautions should be adhered to when using a space heater. First and foremost READ THE DIRECTIONS! Manufacturer’s guidelines must be followed to ensure the proper use of a space heater.
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