During the week of October 6–12, fire departments across the country set to the task of educating the public on this year’s fire safety theme: smoke alarms and making them work for you. Fire Safety Week is held every October, produced by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).
As in previous years, Niverville fire chief Keith Bueckert and his team hit the local elementary school to bring fire safety education to some of the community’s youngest residents. He says it’s an effective method of getting the message into the homes of local families.
To help drive that message, families who returned entry forms along with a home escape plan were entered into draws for $200 Toys R Us gift cards.
Classrooms with the most returned forms were entered into a draw for a complimentary pizza party, courtesy of the fire department.
“Niverville Elementary School has brought back the most completed forms in the entire province for three consecutive years,” Bueckert says. “So we’re really reaching our kids.”
The fire department held an open house at the fire hall, providing demonstrations on the proper use of an extinguisher. Participants also watched with interest as firefighters demonstrated the latest in Niverville’s vehicle extrication equipment.
In keeping with this year’s theme, Bueckert says the driving message is to test household smoke alarms on a monthly basis and replace them when needed.
“If residents have strictly battery-operated alarms, they should be changing those batteries either now or during the time change,” Bueckert says. “For sure once per year, but twice per year is sort of the best option.”
On average, he says, smoke alarms aren’t intended to last more than ten years. In the interim, if they are functioning properly, they should warn you when the batteries get low or the machine is starting to malfunction by producing an annoying and ongoing chirping sound.
“It always seems to happen at the [least desirable] time,” Bueckert says. “Like the middle of the night or some time that is really inconvenient. And sometimes [we pull the batteries] and say we’re going to get back to that, but we never do.”
At minimum, it’s a good idea to ensure there are always new batteries on hand.
Better still, Bueckert says, is to consider changing all your basic cell battery smoke alarms with lithium-ion-powered alarms. These upgraded alarm systems are designed to last ten years without ever having to replace the battery.
In 2015, the Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner and the Manitoba Firefighters’ Burn Fund established the SAFE (smoke alarm for every) Family program, which is designed to provide at-risk residents with lithium-ion-powered alarms.
Fire departments across the province carry a stock of these alarm systems and will install them at no cost to eligible residents. This includes older adults, newcomers to Manitoba, young children, people with disabilities, and low-income families.
Only owner-occupied homes qualify for SAFE. Landlords are responsible for installing and maintaining smoke alarms in their rental units.
If a home is equipped with a hardwired smoke alarm system, Bueckert says these will not be replaced with free lithium-ion units.
“Hardwired alarms are interconnected,” Bueckert says. “So if one goes off upstairs, it’s going to go off throughout the house. That is the best system possible.”
But how many alarms should a household have for ultimate safety? Bueckert says at least one per floor, regardless of square footage. These should be located on hallway ceilings where bedrooms are located.
Installing a secondary smoke alarm in each bedroom provides a further level of protection. This is more relevant than ever when people take to the habit of charging their devices in their bedrooms while they sleep.
For those dealing with hearing impairments, Bueckert says there are devices available that enhance an alarm system through the use of vibrations or flashing lights.
But apart from working fire alarms, he says certain items should be found in every household: fire extinguishers and a fire blanket.
“Fire blankets are becoming increasingly popular for [putting out] small fires,” Bueckert says. “So if your clothes catch fire or if you have a small kitchen fire, you can either wrap yourself in the blanket and stop drop and roll or you can [throw it over] the kitchen fire.”
A fire blanket isn’t a replacement for the fire extinguisher, he adds, since a blanket has limited effectiveness.
As for the extinguisher, Bueckert recommends an ABC fire extinguisher, which simply means that it’s good for class A, B, and C fires. These include ash-producing fires, petroleum or gas-based fires, and fires ignited from energized electrical sources such as computers or electrical panels.
“A ten-pound dry chemical fire extinguisher in your home is ideal,” Bueckert says. “Have it in a place that it is readily accessible, not under a whole bunch of stuff or behind boxes.”
The pull pin should be fastened with a zip tie so it can’t be easily removed by a child. An attached gauge should have a needle pointing into the green zone to indicate its usefulness.
Bueckert also recommends that extinguishers with metal handles go in for testing every couple of years. Those with plastic handles cannot be tested and must be replaced on a regular basis.
“Periodically, you want to turn the extinguisher upside-down and hit it with the base of your hand or a rubber mallet, just so you stir up the contents in there,” adds Bueckert.
When using a fire extinguisher, it’s important to remember the PASS acronym, which stands for Pull the pin, Aim at the base of the fire, Squeeze the handle, and Spray.
If you can save a little bit of the fire retardant in the canister, Bueckert says, it will provide additional help if any flare-ups reoccur due to hidden active sparks.
But when a fire extends beyond its original source, even if it seems to have been extinguished, Bueckert says the fire department should be called in. They arrive to assess the home for traces of sparks or hot items that could cause the fire to reignite.
“We have equipment to see if there’s any heat signatures,” he says. “We may have to even open up a wall or a bit of the ceiling just to ensure that the fire isn’t hiding somewhere.”
This is especially relevant, he says, since home-building products are so volatile these days. These petroleum- and chemical-based products not only ignite quicker and burn faster, but they produce toxic smoke.
“Research has shown that, nowadays, if there’s a fire somewhere in your home, you have 90 seconds or less to get out,” says Bueckert. “And it’s not so much the fire that’s going to get you. It’s the smoke that is being produced.”
