The following information on fire safety was provided by Orion Township Fire Inspector Michael T. Martin.
As fire safety educators, we do our best to educate Orion Township and Lake Orion Village residents about ways to prevent fires in our community. But as we all know, the highest level of vigilance regarding home fire safety may not be enough. According to the latest statistics from the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were an estimated 396,000 reported home structure fires in the United States in 2006, resulting in 2,580 civilian deaths, 12,500 civilian injuries and $6.8 billion in direct damage.
Working smoke alarms and fire escape planning and practice are integral to keeping our families safe, but there is another element that you may want to add to your safety system ? home fire sprinklers. In less time than it typically takes the fire department to arrive on the scene, properly installed sprinklers can contain and even extinguish a home fire. That not only reduces property damage, it saves lives.
Because fire sprinkler systems react so quickly, they can dramatically reduce the heat, flames and smoke produced in a fire. Fire sprinklers have been around for more than a century, protecting commercial and industrial properties and public buildings, such as hotels, hospitals and high-rises. What most people don’t realize is that the same lifesaving technology that protects these buildings is also available for homes, where 80 percent of all fire deaths occur. When sprinklers are present, the chances of dying in a fire are reduced by more than one-half and the average property loss per fire is cut by one-third to two-thirds, compared to fires where sprinklers are not present.
Sprinklers can be installed by specially trained contractors. The best time to install sprinklers is when you are building a new home or remodeling an existing home. Nationally, installing sprinklers adds between 1 and 1.5 percent to the total cost of construction. Installing sprinklers during remodeling, known as ‘retrofitting,? generally costs more and the cost depends on the existing structure. Many insurance companies offer a range of’discounts for homeowners with sprinkler systems, making comparison-shopping worthwhile.
Unfortunately, there are many stubborn misconceptions about home fire sprinklers that make some homeowners reluctant to install sprinklers in their homes. These are the facts:
‘It is extremely rare for sprinklers to operate accidentally. In a typical home, water damage will be considerably less from unwanted sprinkler discharges than from other plumbing mishaps.
‘Cigar smoke and burned toast cannot cause a sprinkler to operate. Only the high temperature that results from a fire will activate the sprinkler.
‘All the sprinklers do not activate at once. This scenario may be common in movies and TV shows, but it just isn’t true for residential fire sprinkler systems. Only the sprinkler closest to the fire activates. Ninety percent of the time, one sprinkler contains the fire.
Home fire sprinklers give added protection from fire and peace of mind. Free info is available online at www.homefiresprinkler.org.

When a smoke alarm sounds we all know what to do, right? Find the nearest escape route, get out and stay out! But if that exit is blocked, the best escape plan in the world will not help you and your family get to safety.

Items that block doors and windows in your home could keep you from escaping in the event of a home fire. Any emergency can affect one’s ability to think clearly, but during a fire, smoke and other physical factors can literally inhibit your ability to react. Add a blocked escape route to the equation and your chances of safely escaping a fire may decrease even more. Not only can blocked windows and doors hinder you and your family’s ability to escape a fire, but they can also keep firefighters from successfully completing their rescue attempts.

While many blocked escape routes are unintentional, such as large furniture or a pile of toys, others, like security bars, serve a purpose. Despite a downward trend in overall fire deaths in the United States, the number of fire deaths related to the use of security bars has risen, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Most of these fatal fires occur in low-income, high-crime neighborhoods. Due to a heightened fear of crime in these neighborhoods, people take measures to secure their homes and discourage intruders from entering, thereby, either consciously or unconsciously, placing a higher priority on security than on fire safety. This is particularly dangerous because people living in high-crime and/or low-income areas usually face increased fire risk as well. Increased fire risk, combined with blocked windows and doors, are most dangerous for young children, older adults, and people with disabilities, for whom escape might be more difficult, even under ordinary circumstances.

Whether your home has security bars or other items blocking escape routes, the following tips can help you to increase your chances of escaping your home should a fire occur:
Use emergency release devices inside all barred doors and windows. Emergency release devices’enable you to push the bars open from the inside, but they don’t affect the security provided outside. These devices can involve pulling a lever, pushing a button, stepping on a pedal or kicking in a lever on the floor. Make sure everyone in the household knows how to operate the release devices.
Padlocks can be a barrier to safety. In the event of a home fire, you’ll need access to every escape route. Remove padlocks so the door or window can be used as an escape route.
When arranging furniture and other items, make sure that you’re not blocking doors or windows with televisions, heavy dressers, tables, couches, even potted plants. Every room needs two ways out. Remove furniture that may be blocking doors or windows.
Never nail or paint windows shut. Opening them could be crucial in the event of a home fire. Inspect your windows and doors. Remove nails or paint that could prevent using windows for escape.
A pile of toys or other items in front of a doorway can block your escape route and could be a threat to the safety of you and your family. Remove toys that may be blocking doors or windows.
In addition to clearing clutter and unblocking exits, the most important key to your family’s safety is planning and practicing a home fire escape plan. Make sure you develop a fire escape plan that identifies two ways out of each room and a family meeting place outside. Practice using your escape plan, at least twice a year. If everyone knows that everyone else is ready to exit quickly, no one will lose precious time trying to help someone who doesn’t need help.
This October 5-11 is Fire Prevention Week. What better time to make sure you are prepared in the event of a fire? Orion Township Fire Department is encouraging local families to make a fire escape plan and practice it during The Great American Fire Drill.’For more information visit www.firepreventionweek.org or www.sparky.org.

Sincerely,

Michael T. Martin, Fire Inspector

Orion Township and The Village of Lake Orion, September 23, 2008? A pot holder too close to a lit burner or a space heater left on overnight could be all it takes to start a home fire. In fact, cooking and heating are among the leading causes of home fires in the United States, according to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
That’s why Orion Township Fire Department is teaming up with NFPA from October 5-11 to urge Township and Village residents to ‘Prevent Home Fires? during Fire Prevention Week. This year’s campaign focuses on preventing all the leading causes of home fires ? cooking, heating and electrical equipment, and smoking materials. Additionally, fire safety educators will be teaching local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.
According the latest research from NFPA, more than 2,500 people died in home fires in the United States in 2006, and 12,500 were injured. Fire departments responded to 396,000 home fires, which accounted for 80% of civilian deaths and 76% of injuries that year.
‘While the number of home fires is daunting, the good news is that many are easily preventable when residents take simple steps to increase their safety from fire,? said Michael T. Martin, Fire Inspector ‘Whether it’s smoking outside the home, keeping space heaters at least three feet away from anything that can burn, or staying in the kitchen when you are using the stovetop, there are easy things you can do to keep your home and family safe from fire.?
Do you know how to keep your home safe from fire hazards? Reviewing the following information and taking action can help you ‘Prevent Home Fires? during Fire Prevention Week and year-round.

Cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
Heating: Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
Electrical: Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords; use extension cords for temporary wiring only. Consider having additional circuits or receptacles added by a qualified electrician.
Smoking: If you smoke, smoke outside; wherever you smoke, use deep, sturdy ashtrays.
Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country.’For 85 years fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.
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We will be hosting two events again this year.
Our Annual Fire Truck Display on Sunday, October 5th from 1:00pm ? 4:00pm behind the Township Hall. Located: at Greenshield and Joslyn Rd.
Our Fire Station Open House on Sunday, October 12th from 1:00pm -4:00pm

How many times have you left the house in the morning and wondered, ‘Did I turn off the stove?? With our busy lives, the safety of our homes and families are sometimes relegated to the back of our minds ? an afterthought as we hop in the car to start the day.

Orion Township Fire Department wants you to make sure that the stove burner is turned off or the damaged electrical cord you’ve been meaning to fix is your top priority during Fire Prevention Week, October 5-11. The theme of this year’s campaign, ‘Prevent Home Fires,? focuses on preventing the leading causes of home fires ? cooking, heating and electrical equipment, and smoking materials.
According to the latest statistics from the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), there were an estimated 396,000 reported home structure fires in 2006, resulting in 2,580 civilian deaths, 12,500 civilian injuries and $6.8 billion in direct damage in the United States. Home fires caused 80% of civilian deaths and 76% of injuries.
While the statistics are daunting, most home fires are easily preventable when we narrow our focus and take personal steps to increase our safety. One way to do this is by proactively combing through each room in your home to find signs of danger and fix them. Orion Township Fire Department is encouraging (Residents) and their families to put their safety first by performing a home hazards inspection during Fire Prevention Week. You can download a checklist from www.firepreventionweek.org.

There are also a number of simple steps that you can put into action to keep your home safe from fire:
Cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling food. If you leave the kitchen for even a short period time, turn off the stove.
Heating: Keep all things that can burn, such as paper, bedding or furniture, at least 3 feet away form heating equipment.
Electrical: Replace cracked and damaged electrical cords; use extension cords from temporary wiring only. Consider having additional circuits or receptacles added by a qualified electrician.
Smoking: If you smoke, smoke outside; wherever you smoke, use deep, sturdy ashtrays.

As firefighters and fire safety educators, fire prevention is always on our minds. We hope that you use the checklist and home fire prevention tips to put your safety first during Fire Prevention Week, and year-round.

Sincerely,

Michael T. Martin, Fire Inspector

If a fire broke out in your home, do you know how much time you would have to get out? Unfortunately, no one knows for sure. According to the nonprofit National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than one out of every four’American households who made an estimate thought they would have at least six minutes before a fire in their home would become life-threatening. The time available is often less.?
While most people feel safe in their homes, the reality is that home fires are much more common than people might think. There were nearly 400,000 home fires reported in 2006 in the United States, resulting in more than 2,500 civilian deaths and 12,500 civilian injuries. Home fires caused 80% of civilian deaths and 76% of injuries.
In a perfect world, we would be able to prevent all home fires. In reality, we can be vigilant, but there are no guarantees. Any emergency can affect one’s ability to think clearly, but during a fire, smoke and other physical factors can literally inhibit your ability to react. Preparing for the unexpected is difficult. But when it comes to home fires, minutes, even seconds, can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why having well-practiced fire escape plan is vital to your families safety.
Here are the basics of home fire escape planning to get you and your family started:
? Install a smoke alarm on every level of your home and have one inside each bedroom and outside of each sleeping area.? For the best protection, interconnect alarms so that when one sounds, they all sound.
? Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
? Develop a fire escape plan that identifies two ways out of each room and a family meeting place outside.
? Make sure your plan allows for any specific needs in your household.? If everyone knows what to do, everyone can get out quickly.
? Practice using the plan, at least twice a year.? If everyone knows that everyone else is ready to exit quickly, no one will lose precious time trying to help someone who doesn’t need help.
? Some children and adults may not awaken to the sound of the smoke alarm.? They may need help to wake up.
This October 5-11 is Fire Prevention Week. While this year’s theme is ‘Prevent Home Fires,? we want Orion Township and The Village of Lake Orion residents to be prepared. Currently, only 35% of U.S. households have a well-practiced plan in place for escaping home fires. Orion Township Fire Department is encouraging local families to make a fire escape plan and practice it.’There is also an opportunity individuals and communities to join together to promote fire safety and be a part of The Great American Fire Drill.’For more information visit www.firepreventionweek.org or www.sparky.org.
Fire is unpredictable. But preparation in the form of a well-practiced escape plan ? at least twice a year ? can help keep you and your family safe, and potentially save lives.
Sincerely,
Michael T. Martin, Fire Inspector