Please page down or click an item		June 1988 Newsletter
L Arellano, III Home Page Reliance Alarm Co. Home Page FEATURES Home Fire Alarms Smoke vs. Heat           Multiple-death Fires    Off the Phone Wire		TM Copyright © 1986 - 2000  Luis Arellano, III. All rights reserved. Revised: February 06, 2008 11:04

 FIRE ALARMS FOR YOUR HOME

If you were to build a new home today, in practically any town, the local code will require a smoke detector on each level, and one in each bedroom.  Take note that this is only a minimum standard.  Full protection (and in some cases, even just adequate protection) from smoke and fire may require more than this minimal coverage. 

My best example is the case of our man, Jeff Bechtel.  In his sleep, he knocked over a lamp.  The shade fell aside, and the bulb burned into the pillow only a foot from Jeff's head, filling the room with smoke.  He awoke choking.  Since the door was shut, the smoke detector in the hall afforded virtually no early warning capability.  Asphyxiation could easily result from such an accident.  Given the absence of flame or high heat, a smoke detector inside the bedroom could make the critical difference. 

 SMOKE vs. HEAT DETECTORS

A mid-1980's study showed that smoke detectors are far and away superior to heat-only detectors in terms of early warning capability.  Some heat detectors are now labeled "Not a life safety device," meaning they are primarily intended for property protection.  Heat detectors are useful for protecting spaces that cannot be covered by smoke detectors due to the normal presence of smoke or dust.  These areas include kitchens, rooms with fireplaces, garages and workshops.

In the past, some alarm dealers routinely substituted heat detectors for smoke detectors as a cost-cutting means.  Now that the facts are known, be advised against doing so based solely on the cost.  If your system was installed under the old philosophy, give some serious thought to upgrading in favor of smoke detectors.  In most cases the wiring can be reused, but some upgrading of the alarm control unit may be needed.  It's no big deal.  Let us take care of it.

IN SUMMARY, a professionally designed and installed fire alarm system is an excellent way to protect against a fire tragedy.  Our 24-hour central station monitoring service also affords protection while you are away, something that free standing smoke detectors alone cannot do.  Call us - we want to protect your home, family and place of business!

 MULTIPLE DEATH FIRES 

Each year, more than 1,000 Americans die in multiple death fires.  These fires, small in number but tragically deadly, account for nearly 20% of all the fire deaths in the U.S.   Residential fires dominate the experience, accounting for nearly 90% of the fires and 85% of the deaths.

The major findings of an annual study were:

• Cigarettes are the leading cause of accidental multiple death fires in residential properties at 29.1% - a factor of 2 to 1 over the second leading cause.

• Fires resulting from fixed or portable heating equipment - wood stoves, kerosene heaters, gas or electric cooking stoves, etc. - are the second most common cause of accidental multiple death fires in residential properties.

• Electrical equipment arcing or overloaded came in at 15.1%  The material ignited was most often a structural component of the building.

• 50.3% of the reported fires started in the living room; 20% started in a bedroom, 11.7% in the kitchen, 7.6% in a means of egress.  Surprisingly, only 1.5% started in a heating equipment room.

• 68% of these fires occurred in the first and last calendar quarters, with a big crescendo in December and January.

• More than 80% occurred during the nighttime or early morning hours.

Need I mention the value of a smoke detector? 

At his sales presentation, Paul Roach of ESL, a major manufacturer of smoke detectors, held up a charred, twisted, unrecognizable object.  He blew a puff of cigarette smoke at the object, which incredibly, began buzzing.  "This smoke detector saved a whole family from almost certain death," he declared.  "We're really proud of that."

Off the Phone Wire items originally appearing in this newsletter have been consolidated with others on a separate page.  Click Here.                                  

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