The UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (UL FSRI) recently launched a brand new campaign to help prevent fire deaths and injuries. The name of the campaign is “Close Your Door: Fire’s Getting Faster”. “Close Your Door” is a campaign that has been created to help keep people safe and teach them important ways to react to a fire, increasing their chances of survival.
The main aim of the campaign is to teach families how to stop a fire from spreading once it has begun. It also has revamped the older, classic song “Stop, Drop & Roll” to create a new version for today’s youth. When it comes to the spread of a house fire, people today have three minutes or less to get out of their burning houses. But, forty years ago when the first fire safety campaign was launched, people had over seventeen minutes to escape from their burning homes. The fourteen-minute time difference stems from the major changes that have occurred in construction materials used in home development, advances in home furnishings and the open layout that many modern houses have. House fires are able to spread through homes much more quickly due to the synthetic materials and open space, so people have less time to get away should they experience a house fire.
One of the most fundamental tips in the UL FSRI fire safety campaign is to make sure to check and update the smoke alarms throughout your home. The UL FSRI recommends have interconnected smoke alarms and strongly advises to have them installed outside every sleeping area and on every level of the house. It is important to remember to test and check the effectiveness of your smoke alarms often, as well as to repair or replace them if necessary. Another essential tip is to have a fire safety plan, especially so that children are aware of what to do in case of a fire. Many people and families do not have fire safety plans and this makes it even harder to remember what to do and how to react when the terrifying situation of a house fire occurs. Having a plan can help prepare you and your family. The last main tip is to close your door because this helps to prevent smoke, fire and heat from spreading. It is also a good idea to close all the windows, because this also helps to delay the spread of smoke, fire and heat.
We wish you and your family much health, happiness and safety this upcoming Holiday season!
If you or any of your loved ones have experienced such a situation, the personal injury lawyers at Galfand Berger, LLP can help. With offices located in Philadelphia, Reading and Bethlehem, we serve clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey. To schedule a consultation, call us at 800-222-8792 or complete our online contact form.