Sunday, February 1, 2009

Fire Protection And The National Fire Protection Association

Fire protection as we obviously know it is a very serious safety precaution to take. After all fires are a very disastrous occurrence and have been known to undeniably cause a lot of damage no matter where they occur. So in order to combat the happening of needless fires you do have groups out there whose duty is to educate those that need guidance in proper fire safety and precaution. There is nothing to be embarrassed about if you don’t know everything that there is to know about safeguarding against fire. You can’t know it all and when you that is the case there is no reason that you can’t learn it. That’s why organizations like the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA for short indeed exist.

They are driven by a purpose to help protect and educate those who may have to deal with situations that may involve situations where fire will occur. An organization the likes of the NFPA prides itself on its first hand knowledge of fire protection and safety. This of course is something that can only expected out of an organization of this caliber. So we thought we’d give you a little bit of an insight on the history of the organization and its interesting beginnings.

So what exactly is the NFPA then in specifics? It is a multi-national non profit organization that started in the year 1896. Its mission and its intention from the very beginning is to help raise awareness and prevention of fires. That we would say is a very respectable and honorable goal and for over century the NFPA has done their darnedest to meet the expectations of their fire protection mission. The organization goes their way in doing this by upholding codes and standards for buildings (both public and private).

This mission also includes training, education and research into fire protection. This dedication to combating such a destructive force does speak volumes for what they do as an organization. This dedication to their mission is what makes the NFPA a leading authority on dealing with fire hazards and safety.

As a leader in the field of fire protection as well as public safety issues the NFPA has also worked hard in the development and establishing of several hundred consensus codes and standards. These measures by the NFPA are used to reduce the risks of fire and other risks associated with the fall out of a fire related disaster.

Headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts the NFPA has and will continue to uphold their dedication to raising awareness of fire protection. Their official website also offers a vast array of information and tips on how to ensure that you get the most out of your education on how to properly safeguard yourself against situations that could prove to be very deadly.

So when it comes to fire hazards we can’t fault one for wanting to learn more from the National Fire Protection Association. They are a leading expert in the study of fire protection and will continue to be for quite some time. Cable Organizer has a comprehensive list of fire protection products.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Fire Protection: Christmas Tree Safety

We all know it's Christmas time and you're excited about having your tree set up and decorated. We can't fault you for that because that time of the year brings out the kid in us but that doesn't mean we should forget about fire protection. With Christmas trees both artificial and real you must be careful in how you decorate and set them up. By properly adorning your tree you will make the Yule tide season a much safer one. Now we don't want to discourage you from having the brightest, nicest tree on the block but we want you to be careful in doing so. Fair enough?

Carefully decorating Christmas trees can help make your holidays safer. It's imperative to realize that the fires associated with Christmas trees spread really fast. Therefore you have to be very careful. Here are some facts related to Christmas tree fires to let you know how dangerous an occurrence this can be.

Some important facts related to Christmas Tree related fires:
It's been noted that 59% of fires happen in December, and 24% occurred the following month in January. From the time frame of 2003-2006, fire departments came to the aid of 240 home fires that were Christmas Tree related. Amongst the fires deaths at averaged at 16 people, injuries were at a number of 25 and property damage neared $13.1 million. Thankfully these fires are not an epidemic however when one happens they can cause grand damage. Out of every fifteen tree related fires that happen a death has occurred.

Some tips to ensure fire protection with Christmas Trees

Artificial trees must be marked, established and certified by its maker as fire retardant. If you're selecting a real tree make sure its needles are fresh and that they don't fall off when touched. Trees before they are placed in their stands must have 1-2" cut from the trunk's base. Your tree should be a minimum of three feet away from any sort of heat making source. This includes vents, candles, fire places, radiators and lights. Avoid having a tree getting in the way of an exit.

Tree lighting guidance

Lights that have a certification to prove they've been tested are the ones you should use. You'll find both indoor and outdoor lights but you'll never find types that are used for both. If any of your lights are damaged or broken you should replace them. You'll want to make sure your connections do not exceed more than three strands in its light sets. Screw in bulbs should not go over 50 bulbs. When lighting a tree never use candles as your light source either, that could be pretty dangerous! When tree is not in use make sure you turn the lights off.

When it's time to take your tree down here's what you should know. When needles start to drop get rid of the tree. Trees that are dried out will pose a great threat for a potential in fires. Therefore your attempt to institute fire protection will be in danger if you don't properly dispose of the tree. Also make sure to bring back your outdoor light fixtures if you have any and store them away once the season is over. In closing enjoy the Christmas season dear reader but never forget the importance of fire protection, you'll be grateful for it in the long run.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Fire Protection | Electrical Hazards

For as grateful as we are for the benefits of electrical power we must also learn to be respectful of what it can do. Fire protection is vital in the way of electrical hazards because fires can potentially occur from an electrical faux pas. So here are some quick ideas we can throw your way to ensure fire safety with electrical appliances:

Overloading your electrical sockets is a don’t! Octopus outlets are a prime example of what you shouldn’t use in the way of electrical plugs. Never use a light bulb which has wattage that exceeds its receptacle. Look inside your receptacle to find out its allocation for watts.
Weakened wires, lighting fixtures and receptacles should be checked for don’t let it get to the point where sparks fly, literally! For appliance like televisions, stereos and computers allow for enough to space to get proper air flow. Blown fuses and circuit breaker issues should indicate that any associated devices get terminated. See what we mean by how important fire protection is with electrical items?

All your electrical accessories should have the Underwriters Laboratories seal of approval or UL as it’s more commonly known as. With more aged houses a lot of wiring setups are not on the same level as newer setups. However in any setup new or old look out for these warning signs to ensure proper fire protection in the way of electrical hazards. Dimming lights when you turn on equipment and your TV screen minimizing. Your heating equipment doesn’t run at its usual level or constant blown fuses.

When this happens be sure to get a qualified technician into survey the problem. This could make all the difference in the world of a house fire or a simple repair job. We definitely want you to go with the former. The latter could result in a lot of problems and that is something we want to prevent from you going through.

That doesn’t mean you should become an electric-phobe though. Electrical appliances are a miracle. After all who doesn’t like having a Blu-Ray Player or an XBOX 360 running in high-def?! But nevertheless it’s a good idea to follow the rules and make sure that nothing is going to be starting a spark in your household. If that happens then your items get rendered rather useless after that.

That’s not really something that we have in mind when we think of having electrical equipment. However responsibility is key in running these setups properly so it’s worth the time to remember how to properly ensure fire safety with your appliances. Just remember to consult the pros at this one if there are any further questions you have in this matter. It never hurts to ask questions even if you may feel self-conscious about it. It’s definitely better than the alternative of what could happen.

In closing though we can’t stress enough the importance of fire protection when it comes to electrical hazards. It’s paramount to ensure that frayed wires and loose connections are kept to a minimum.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Fire Protection | Some Things To Be Aware Of With Heat Sources

Fire protection is a necessary practice to ensure that your home is safe and sound from the ravages that a fire can enact upon your living space. Heat sources are notorious for this. Devices such as fire places and furnaces must be properly monitored. Therefore we bundled up some tips for you to go by to help ensure that your house does not become a statistics in a home disaster. Let's begin now shall we?

CIGARETTES

The following is some common sense stuff but nevertheless we should still tell you because it's our duty to keep you educated on every method of fire protection out there. With smoking here are some of the things to make sure that you take care of when in the privacy of your own home. First thing never smoke in your bed one little ash can create a whole nightmare if it lands on your sheet. If you're totally fatigued you should probably wait until the next morning to have a cigarette. Your ashtray should be big and have a large capacity but still be sure to throw out the ashes constantly. Always make sure when disposing ashes that you wet them and the butts as well.

SPACE HEATERS AND FURNACES

For space heaters never leave one running when you are not in the room. You'll definitely want to make sure that they stay at a minimum distance of three feet from anything that could catch fire. This includes things like curtains and so on. With both the furnace and space heater never put anything like flammable materials, papers and fabrics. Your furnace installation should be handled by a professional and looked before every season that it'll be in use. Extension cords with space heaters are also a no-no, this is due to their high level of power that they put out which can potentially lead to a fire. After all this article is about fire protection right? Therefore we want to let you know what'll help make that less of a likelihood.

FIREPLACES

Be careful with a fireplace, that should go without saying but sometimes people may forget that they're intentionally bringing a fire into their house so therefore it has to be handled with responsibility and care. The first thing you want to make sure is that you don't put anything that can catch fire near the fireplace. This is stuff like paper materials, or kindling wood. Your chimney should be inspected thoroughly so no build up exists. With gas fireplaces make sure you light the match before gas is turned on.

CLOTHES DRYERS

This is definitely an essential appliance in your household but it too is subject to fire protection. Here's some things to do combat against it. Dryers must have their venting system run to the outside and not stay inside your dwelling. Proper maintenance of the airway in your dryer must be kept up by cleaning it out. Never put any heat retaining materials in your dryer. This include rubber, plastic, foam and synthetic made fabrics.

In all, it's important to be aware of fire protection when dealing with what some people think are merely simple things but always be aware and have a healthy respect for what's around you. In the end it could save your life.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Fire Protection | Sprinkler Systems

The technology that has created the fire protection solution known as sprinkler systems dates back to 1874 in New Haven, CT. Since that time the technology remains very basic but yet stays very important as a means to help protect people and structures from the ravages of flame. We can’t be grateful enough for this invention due to its accurate and necessary role in fire safety.

Sprinkler systems have come in more than one form over the years and we’ll explain a bit about them. For starters you have automatic sprinklers. These types work at a temperature that is already set to activate once that temperature is reached. This is achieved when a device such as a bulb or other catalyst is melted and releases a substance which enables the flow of water to start. From there a deflector is activated in the system and the water flow continues.

Today’s sprinkler’s typically go in a down direction. Most of these sprinkler systems operate one by one in a few. This is in contrast to what most people may think however there are setups that do allow for an entire sprinkler system to activate but that is only if it’s necessary to do so. The open orifice sprinklers are used a little differently and you only see them occur in a water spray setup or deluge sprinkler. There is no temperature detection on these so therefore the level of degrees is not a factor.

Another thing to make note of with the automatic fire sprinklers that use a bulb is that there is a color code that goes into how their temperature of operation works. The temperatures are set to work with what kind of hazard is particularly going on. The system gauges the severity of the situation and its acts from there.

Therefore the actual number of sprinklers that are going to work at the same time depends on how many are near the fire that is occurring at the time. It’s definitely a technology that has been well thought out and has gotten only better with time without getting too fancy. It does its job that much we can definitely say.

Today’s world definitely still relies on them as a means of fire protection and the device never ceases to do its job and do it well. Many residential areas such as apartment buildings also utilize the use of sprinkler systems. Other public buildings definitely make sure to have sprinklers installed as well.

This coupled with fire extinguishers make for a very formidable setup in the event a fire wants to rage its way through. Now while we won’t argue with you that getting blasted with sprinklers may not be something you want but we’re sure it’s something you’d rather have happen than the alternative.

Hey, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. In this case we’ll gladly go that route with sprinkler systems since they are an invaluable means of fire safety. No doubt about it. In the end, it’s one of the most reliable methods of fire protection out there.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Fire Protection | Some Precautions and Plans

Whether you know everything there is to know about fire protection or your base of knowledge isn’t that expansive reading this article still won’t hurt. Since it’s our duty to inform you our dear readers of various topics, we feel obligated like always to make sure we’re doing our jobs properly. There are not many topics out there that are important as this one so here are some things you’ll want to know both in the way of precaution and reaction to a fire safety situation.

The following is some information from the National Fire Protection Association:

The year 2003 saw 80% of United States fires taking place in a home. This unfortunate occurrence led to 3,925 deaths in total. Statistics also show that every 134 minutes a home fire claims the life of an individual. In Canada fatal injuries happen almost every 31 hours. Almost fifty percent of fire related deaths in the home in the United States result from fires that are reported between 10am and 6pm. By and large smoking is one the top cause of home fire deaths but from December-February heating equipment wasn’t too far behind in this statistic. Another frightening statistic uncovered by the NFPA is in regards to fire responses. Every 20 seconds a fire department responds to a fire at some point in the United States.

Keeping this in mind here are some tips we can give you to make a safe exit plan in the event that fire protection doesn’t work out and your house is victim to flame. Here’s what we can tell you to do in the event that you must flee your home:
  • It’s essential you create a floor plan of your house, this plan must detail at minimum of two exits in each of the rooms.
  • Make sure that when you sleep your bedroom door remains closed. If a fire occurs it will help keep excess heat and smoke away. Do not use the door as a means of escape if it’s hot find a way out through your window if possible.
  • Escape ladders are available through many different vendors and retail areas. You can buy these items at prices starting at around the $90 range.
  • Set up a meeting point outside of your home where fellow occupants will meet for accountability purposes.
  • Always be sure that you stay with your group and as far away from the fire as possible. Dial 911 from another place and ensure that no one acts brave and rushes back into the building.
  • Look through hallways and stair cases to prevent any trip hazards from being in the area. This could prove to be fatal if corrective action is not taken.
Always make sure that areas such as basements, attics, garages and closets don’t have items that can cause a fire. This is probably one of the most basic and vital means for fire protection.
In closing, we can’t stress the point enough that fire protection is essential but it’s also important to know how to protect you in the event that a fire actually does occur. With these guidelines we’re sure that the cooler head will prevail even in the hottest of situations.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance

When it comes to fire protection the maintenance of fire extinguishers is essential. For this life saving devices to properly work a qualified individual or set of individuals is tasked with this responsibility. If not done on a regular basis really unnecessary things may happen such as a lack of functionality of rupturing of the extinguisher. This has resulted in death and severe injury in the past. There is not a universal fire code in the United States. Most places require monthly inspection to guarantee that proper pressure is present and not obstructed. Yearly inspections also occur on the equipment by a qualified individual. For water and CO2 based models a hydrostatic pressure test is performed every five years. This same test is done every twelve years for dry chemical models.

Not too long ago the National Fire Protection Association and the ICC voted to get rid of the monthly inspection in favor of electronic monitoring. From the NFPA’s point of view this setup keeps an electronic log at its computer systems. This requires constant supervision and attention. This will look for all the same things that the monthly tests had. When and if problems are found the system will notify officials to quickly remedy the occurrence. This monitoring is available in both wired and wireless modes. Below are the United States’ standards on maintenance:

Internal Maintenance - For internal maintenance the following extinguishers are monitored by these time tables: Water – Annually, Foam- Every three years, Wet Chemical/CO2 – Every Five years and Dry Powder, Halon and Clean Agents – Every 6 years

From this point the extinguisher is purged of all chemicals to check for accuracy. After it passes all its tests the extinguisher is then replenished and ready to be sent out for use once again. Cartridge operated extinguishers should be looked at but they don’t require any verification of service label.

Maintenance Inspection: This is done every year. Every variety of extinguisher except for water based which must be recharged every year will have a full on fine toothed comb inspection. The fire protection based device is looked at to make sure its pressure is normal. That it’s extinguishing agent is at its proper volume it’ll be weighed by the technician during inspection. It must also fall within the guidelines of its hydrotest and meet the internal maintenance criteria too. Proper working condition and parts are looked for on the extinguisher. Dry chemical/powder varieties are tested via the hit of a rubber mallet. This is to test the flow of the powder in the extinguisher this process is called “fluffing”.

In all the process of fire extinguishers are important because it is a first line of defense in the event of a fire. A properly working and maintained extinguisher can save the day in most cases and without it working right you could be in serious trouble. Therefore it’s always a serious matter to make sure that you are well aware of this vital means of fire protection because you can never be too careful.