The above link is the live audio from the August 4th radio interview at 9:10 a.m. between Firefighter Michael McLeieer, founder of E.S.C.A.P.E. and Ken Lanphear, WKZO Morning Show host.
A fire in an office or store can be devasting to a community. In addition to potential deaths and property loss, people may lose their jobs and the community may lose a vital service provided by the business.
The uncertain future caused by COVID-19 can also make the economic effect of a fire on a business much worse. Some businesses may have a hard time recovering financially after being shut down for several months due to the pandemic.
Every year in the United States there are 17,000 office and store fires that cause over $800 million in direct property damage.
According to the U.S. Fire Administration, Cooking is the leading cause of office and store fires. In 2018:
- 33.2% of office and store fires were caused by cooking,
- 10.9% were due to electrical malfunction,
- 8.7% were due to heating,
- 7.6% were caused by other unintentional reasons or carelessness, and
- 7.1% were caused by appliances.
Many causes of office and store fires are the same as those for home fires. Since emergencies happen when we least expect them, prevention and escape planning is essential.
The good news: Modern building design and fire codes protect most offices and stores from fire. However, according to ESCAPE Fire Safety, there are important fire safety practices that employees and employers should follow to help prevent workplace fires, keep workers safe and keep offices and stores open.
Employees should:
- Check for damaged electrical cords and cables. Don’t overload outlets and power strips.
- Keep anything that can burn away from electrical equipment.
- Never leave portable heating devices unattended.
- Keep your workspace and equipment clean, dry and well ventilated.
- Plan and practice multiple escape routes in case one is blocked.
- Ensure windows can be opened and screens can be removed.
- Remove any obstacles from exits.
Employers need to prepare for emergencies.
- Make sure smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are properly installed and working.
- Post clear fire escape plans on every level of a building.
- Teach employees about exit locations, escape routes and fire protection equipment.
- Check the condition of fire ladders and escapes.
- Conduct regular emergency drills.
If there is a fire, building workers should:
- Call 911.
- Notify co-workers of the fire.
- Never use the elevator if there is a fire or during a fire alarm activation. Walk, don’t run, down the stairs.
If workers can’t evacuate, they should:
- Seal door gaps with jackets.
- Wait at the window.
- Remain calm.
For more information on fire safety in a variety of workplaces, visit www.osha.org or www.escapeinc.org
Photo courtesy of the West Bend (WI) Fire Department
Using oxygen increases the risk of fire and burns. When oxygen is used in the home, the amount of O2 in the air, furniture, clothing, and hair goes up, making it easier for a fire to start and spread.
The West Bend (WI) Fire Department responded to a residential fire alarm on Saturday July 25th. The occupant had dropped a cigarette onto the oxygen tubing where it subsequently started on fire.
If you or a loved one uses home oxygen
- Do not smoke
- Make sure the home has working smoke alarms. Test them monthly.
- Have a home fire escape plan with a minimum of 2 ways out of every room and an outdoor meeting place. Practice the plan at least twice a year.
- Keep oxygen and tubing 10-feet away from heat sources such as candles, matches, lighters, heaters, wood stoves, electric razors, hair dryers, cooking stoves, and smoking materials.
- Do not use petroleum-based products such as oil-based lip balms or lotions. They catch fire easily.
Here is the entire post from the West Bend Fire Department’s Facebook page:
***Smoking while using oxygen is dangerous!***
#20-2216 07/25/2020 03:29
At 3:29 a.m. on Saturday, July 25th, 2020, the West Bend Fire Department was dispatched to a residential fire alarm in the City of West Bend. A West Bend Police Department officer, Engine 1, Truck 2, and Battalion 1 responded to a two family side by side residence. A family member of the occupant was outside speaking to the officer upon arrival of fire department units.
The occupant had dropped a cigarette onto the oxygen tubing where it subsequently started on fire. The occupant stomped out the fire with their feet. While there were burn marks on the socks, luckily the occupant did not suffer any burn injuries. The occupant refused medical attention on the scene.
Please do not utilize smoking materials while using oxygen. The end result of this incident could have been a disaster. UW Hospital Burn Center in Madison had two admissions for burn injuries in March and April of 2020 for people who were burned while smoking and using oxygen. These incidents really do happen, they really cause damage, and they really do cause harm.
With the recent increase in youth-set fires throughout Michigan and across the country, Firefighter Michael McLeieer, president and founder of E.S.C.A.P.E. Inc. spoke with Jim McKinney on the WKZO Morning Show on Monday July 27th at 9:10 a.m. about the dangers of youth firesetting.
Listen to the interview here:
For more tips on Youth Firesetting, visit: http://escapeinc.org/safety-for-you-youth-firesettingwhat-you-can-do/
Getting the right turnout gear for your department is critical, but it is just one component of firefighter health and safety. Firefighters need to understand not only the performance of their gear and proper donning and doffing techniques, but also the limitations of the gear. Today’s three-layer ensembles feature advanced protection using the most technically advanced materials; but the human body has not changed.
The 3-Layer System
A typical turnout has an outer shell, a moisture barrier, and then one, two, or three layers of fabric that make up the thermal lining package. Air is trapped in these thermal layers to insulate the firefighter from heat.
Outer Shell
The main purpose of the outer shell is to protect the firefighter from direct flame and heat; it also contributes to abrasion and cut protection as well as some thermal protection. Flame resistance is commonly measured by the Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI), which is the amount of oxygen required to make the material burn. Outer shells are blends of man-made petroleum products that have different LOI values. Many outer shells are blends of KEVLAR®, which has a low LOI, and PBI® or PBO, which have higher LOIs – the blend creating a synergy that enables the shell fabric to work at a higher temperature. The different mills that manufacture outer shell fabrics from these products also engineer additional attributes into their materials, such as strength, flexibility, and abrasion resistance.
Embrittlement is a total breakdown of the outer shell. Even with the highest level of flame resistance, an outer shell will eventually break down when exposed to flames and could result in serious burns.
Dye sublimation occurs when the dye in an outer shell fabric dissipates in heat, generally at about 450°F. This discoloration does not automatically mean the outer shell is compromised, but it is a warning that all three layers of the garment must be inspected to validate whether the garment is safe to remain in service. Another cause of dye sublimation is exposure to ultraviolet rays, which is an indication that the garment is being stored improperly and could eventually lead to a complete loss of tensile strength.
Moisture Barrier
The primary purpose of the moisture barrier is to protect the firefighter from what NFPA 1971 refers to as the “common liquids”: swimming pool chlorine, battery acid, aqueous film forming foam, surrogate gasoline, fire-resistant hydraulic fluid, and automobile antifreeze fluid. Additionally, the moisture barrier provides protection from blood borne pathogens; it should be noted, however, that these tests are performed on as new fabric and for a limited period of time. The other purpose of the moisture barrier is to allow perspiration to move away from the wearer, also referred to as “breathability.”
The moisture barrier is typically a bi-component membrane bonded to a lightweight fabric substrate.
Thermal Liner
The thermal liner provides a majority of the thermal protection from the ambient heat in the room. Thermal liners consist of a face cloth and batting. The face cloth can be spun fiber or a blend of spun and filament fibers. The filament adds slickness to the face cloth, which makes it comfortable to wear and work in. A spun fiber means that the mill converts bales of fiber by spinning them into yarns. The yarns have protruding random fibers, which help wick moisture off the skin. The batting is typically NOMEX® and/or KEVLAR® fibers and can be a single-layer product like a felt, called needlepunch, or multiple layers of spun lace, which is produced by using water jets to entangle the filaments of the fiber.
Performance Testing
NFPA 1971, Standard on Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, has established minimum performance levels for personal protective equipment (PPE). This standard defines structural fire fighting as “the activities of rescue, fire suppression and property conservation in building, enclosed structures, vehicles, marine vessels, or like properties that are involved in a fire or emergency situation.’’ Fire departments respond to all types of activities and emergencies which is why NFPA 1851, Standard on Selection, Care, and Maintenance of Protective Ensembles for Structural Fire Fighting and Proximity Fire Fighting, requires every fire department to perform a risk assessment in order to determine the appropriate gear for their specific firefighting tactics. This risk assessment should include, but not be limited to, the hazards that can be encountered by firefighters based on the following:
- Type of duties performed
- Distinguishing response activities for different potential incidents
- Organization’s experiences
- Incident operations
- Geographic location and climate
- Specific physical area of operation
- Likelihood of or response to CBRN terrorism incident
- Need for two sets of ensemble elements or spare ensemble elements
Structural turnout gear must pass numerous performance tests outlined in NFPA 1971, a few of which are:
- TPP (Thermal Protective Performance) ‒ is used to measure the insulating performance of the three-layer system by evaluating how quickly heat is transferred from the outside of the garment to the inside when exposed to both convective and radiant heat.
- THL (Total Heat Loss) ‒ is used to evaluate the amount of heat that can be transferred out of the garment composite via both sweat evaporation from the wearer’s skin and conduction through the garment to the outside environment.
- Flame Test ‒ specifies time in seconds for materials used in construction to self-extinguish after exposure to direct flame, as well as allowable char length.
- Heat and Thermal Shrinkage Test – is a 500°F for 5 minute oven exposure which is used to evaluate specific materials for shrinkage, melting, separation, ignition, or dripping. Hardware evaluated against this test must also remain functional following the exposure.
- CCHR (Conductive, Compressive Heat Resistance) ‒ specifies minimum protective insulation in knees and shoulders, which are more likely to become compressed; thermal insulation is reduced under compression.
- SET (Transmitted and Stored Thermal Energy Test) – is used to evaluate the ability of sleeve enhancements to store and then transfer heat through the composite to the skin.
Seconds vs. Minutes
All testing to the NFPA standards is intended to help keep firefighters protected in perilous and volatile environments where conditions can change in seconds. As explained above, one measure of turnout gear performance is the TPP test, which simulates a flashover condition.
If you take the TPP value of the garment composite and divide it in half, the result is roughly the number of seconds before a second-degree burn would occur. With a minimum requirement of 35, anything beyond 17.5 seconds (minimum TPP value ÷ 2) is sufficient to meet the standard. But firefighters cannot assume they have 17.5 seconds to escape a flashover. TPP testing is conducted in a controlled laboratory environment with an ambient temperature of 70°F. When a firefighter becomes trapped in a burning room, how hot is that fire? How hot is it when crawling on the floor? It is literally hundreds of degrees and getting hotter by the second. Additionally, during the time the firefighter is in that room, the gear is absorbing heat. A firefighter in a flashover might have only seconds before suffering second-degree burns because the temperature in the room is constantly escalating.
Visit the Globe website for more educational resources on turnout gear care, maintenance, materials, and more. You are also encourage to visit NFPA.org and review the NFPA standards for a complete listing of all of the multiple tests and requirements that gear must be evaluated against in order to be labeled as NFPA compliant.
Globe is located at 37 Loudon Road, Pittsfield, NH 03263.
by: Firefighter Michael McLeieer, President and Founder, E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety
Wednesday, July 15, is National Pet Fire Safety Day and Jake the Fire Safety Dog is teaching kids and adults how to stay safe in the event of an emergency!
Get Low and Go is what children and families learn when they watch demonstrations by Jake the Fire Safety Dog, a black Labrador retriever service canine dedicated to teaching fire safety techniques.
Jake was introduced in June of 2007 at the Maranda Park Parties and he was the newest addition, at that time, to the E.S.C.A.P.E. Fire Safety program. E.S.C.A.P.E. stands for Education Showing Children and Adults Procedures for Evacuations and this year marks the 25th anniversary for the non-profit fire safety charity.
Each year, children are seriously injured or killed in home fires. Jake is able to bridge the educational gap, engage children and teach the traditional fire safety messages in the classroom and at large community events in a non-traditional way through his vivid demonstrations.
Some of the techniques Jake performed include:
- Crawl Low Under Smoke
- Get Out and Stay Out from a smoke-filled building
- Assemble at a meeting place away from the home
- Children should never go up to a strange animal without a trusted grown-up’s permission
“All kids love animals so when they see Jake the Fire Safety Dog come into the classroom and perform his demonstrations and crawl low under the smoke and fire, it just hits home more with them and they remember what to do in an emergency,” said Adam Munoz, a West Michigan elementary school teacher who has seen Jake in action in his classroom many times.
For more information about fire safety and Jake the Fire Safety Dog, visit: https://www.woodtv.com/wotv4women/maranda/escape-fire-safety/animals-teaching-important-life-saving-practices/ or www.escapeinc.org.
Remember to practice fire safety with everyone in your family everyday Where You Live!