October Is National Fire Prevention Month
Fire Safety – Fires caused more than $15.5 billion in direct property loss in 2008
NFPA Journal publishes new fire loss statistics – September 14, 2009
Fires caused more than $15.5 billion in directly property loss. Fires in residential properties caused $8.6 billion of it.
Fire departments responded to an estimated 1.5 million fires in 2008. These fires resulted in 3,320 civilian fire fatalities, 16,705 civilian fire injuries and an estimated $15.5 billion in direct property loss.
Fires
- 1,451,500 fires were attended by public fire departments, a decrease of 6.8 percent from the year before.
- 515,000 fires occurred in structures, a decrease of 2.9 percent.
- 403,000 fires (78 percent) of all structure fires occurred in residential properties.
- 236,000 fires occurred in vehicles, a decrease of 8.5 percent from the year before.
- 700,500 fires occurred in outside properties, a decrease of 8.9 percent.
- A fire department responds to a fire somewhere in the nation every 22 seconds.
A fire occurs in …
- a structure every 61 seconds
- a residential structure every 78 seconds
- a vehicle every 134 seconds
- an outside property every 45 seconds.
Fire deaths and injuries
- 3,320 civilian fire deaths occurred in 2008, an increase of 3.2 percent.
- About 83 percent of all fire deaths occurred in the home.
- 2,755 civilian fire deaths occurred in the home, a decrease of 3.8 percent.
- 16,705 civilian fire injuries occurred in 2008, a decrease of 5.5 percent. This estimate for civilian injuries is on the low side, because many civilian injuries are not reported to the fire service.
- 13,560 of all civilian injuries occurred in residential properties
There was …
- a civilian fire death every 158 minutes
- a civilian fire injury every 31 minutes
In case of fire!!!
- Sound the alarm and call 9-1-1.
- Only attempt to fight the fire if it is an incipient stage fire and you have the correct equipment to handle it.
- Leave the area, closing doors as you go as this will help limit the spread of fire and smoke.
- If smoke is present, crawl low as the air will be clearer near the floor.
- Before opening any door, use the back of your hand to test for heat on the door surface. A burn to the back of the hand is less incapacitating than one to the palm. If the door is cool, open it cautiously.
- Once outside the building, go to the designated meeting point until your name has been noted and you are given further directions.
Nothing can compare to a fire extinguisher class that includes a hands on live fire drill. Let your employees feel the heat that a real fire will expose them to and give them the confidence to act. Call Pulse America today to schedule a class at 954-389-3544 or email us at info@pulseamerica.com