Fire Prevention Week

Posted by Fahrenheit 451 on Sep 13, 2011 in Fire Safety | 0 comments

National Fire Prevention Week 2011 is October 9 – 15 and we strongly encourage all of our clients and partners to educate themselves on the importance of fire prevention and preparedness.  To help our clients educate the residents and tenants of their buildings on the dangers of fire, we have compiled a number of resources designed with the target audience in mind.

Fire Prevention Week 2011 commemorates the Great Chicago Fire that occurred on October 8-9, 1871.  This was a two-day fire that killed more than 250 people and left more than 100,000 homeless.  Obviously in the past fire fighting and prevention techniques were limited, but it was this event that lead to the creation of new fire safety standards and awareness campaigns.

Today simply being prepared and practicing everyday safe behaviours can greatly decrease the dangers presented by fires.  The major areas of focus for Fire Prevention Week are emergency planning, smoke alarms, and sprinkler systems.

Emergency Planning

Each building with a fire alarm in Calgary should be equipped with a Fire Safety Plan that details emergency procedures in the event of fire.  These plans should include resident handouts that summarize the details and their expected reaction in the event of an emergency.

Each family should also discuss fire safety prevention knowledge to help avoid fires from happening in the first place.  Everyone should also know the sound of the smoke alarm.

Smoke Alarms

Beyond simply knowing what a smoke alarm sounds like, each resident should also be testing their smoke alarms monthly.  To properly test a smoke alarm position a candle directly underneath it and extinguish the flame.  The smoke from the candle should set of the smoke alarm.  (Be careful not to create a fire hazard while using the candle).

Each time you complete an Fire Alarm inspection with Fahrenheit 451 we provide residents with an informative package that outlines their responsibilities for testing their smoke alarms and detailed instructions for completing the test.  When performing in-suite fire alarm testing we also complete a quick test of the smoke alarm as a courtesy to our clients.  To find out more about our annual testing visit our Fire Safety Services page.

Sprinkler Systems

When a fire breaks out in a room with a sprinkler system, 89% of the time the fire is contained to the room of origin.  Sprinklers have been known to reduce property damage by over 51%.  Your building’s sprinkler system should be checked both quarterly and annually based on the Calgary Fire Department’s guide to building responsibility.  Many people mistakenly believe that water damage caused by sprinkler systems can be more extensive than fire damage.  This has been proven by many studies to be massively incorrect.  A fire hose used to put out a fire uses eight times more water than a sprinkler system.

Resources for Property Managers

To help you manage the Fire Safety Systems in your building better, we have provided a number of informative resources that help managers understand the importance of maintaining your fire safety systems.  We also have resources that explain what responsibilities and regulations must be followed by building managers.

• Building Owner’s (or Manager’s) Responsibilities for Fire Safety Equipment
• The Importance of Quarterly Sprinkler Inspections
• 911 Emergency Planning Presentation for Building Managers

Resources to Distribute to Residents and Tenants

We understand that a large part of preventing fires in educating the residents who actually live in these buildings on a daily basis.  We have provided a number of articles and resources that are tailored to general population about fire safety.  Feel free to distribute these materials to your occupants as you see fit.

• Fire Prevention Week Safety Facts and Tips (Handout)
• Preventing Arson and Protecting Your Building (Article)
• NFPA Fire Prevention Week Website (News, Information)
• Sparky.org (Fire Safety Education for Children)

Physical Fire Prevention Week Information Packages

Each of our property management companies will be receiving a collection of National Fire Protection Association materials on Fire Prevention Week, but if you require more information do not hesitate to contact us.