Personal Injury Law

Fire Prevention 101

By Megan Roth

    We all learned the basics of fire-safety when we were just children.  In the event of a fire, stay low to the ground.  Should you come in contact with the fire, stop, drop, and roll.  Yadda-yadda-yadda.

    These bits of advice are only relevant in the event that a fire does occur.  However, think back to the the steps for preventing a fire.  At the top of the list of precautionary measures is the infamous smoke detector. 

    But did you know that simply installing a smoke detector isn't enough?  It's important to make sure that each alarm is not only properly installed, but also that it's properly maintained.  Provided it is, purchasing the small, easy-to-install device is one of the best safety measures you can take in protecting your home and your family.

    Not all fires are the same; in some situations a home may go up in flames immediately, causing mass amounts of damages in just instants.  Other fires start slowly and cause more damage from smoke than from the actual fire itself.

    Just as it's important to distinguish between types of fire, it's important to distinguish between styles of the devices intended to prevent those fires.  There are numerous brands of smoke detectors; however, the majority fall into one of two categories: ionization and photoelectric detectors.  The former are intended to sound quickly when fast-moving, high-flaming fires occur (including but not limited to grease and electrical fires).  The latter have proven much more effective in situations involving smoldering, smoky fires (which often include fabric, mattress, and couch fires).

    Though these are the two main categories of smoke detectors, there are also dual sensor smoke alarms (which are combination alarms that are intended to identify a fire, regardless of its speed or style) and alarms intended to meet the needs of individuals suffering with hearing disabilities.

    Regardless of its type or style, most smoke detectors run off either a 9-volt battery or a 120-volt house current.  The device is cheap to purchase (many can be bought for under $10 a piece), easy to maintain, and can help exclude you from being one of the 12 percent of U.S. homes without smoke detectors in which over half of all fires occur.

Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on June 11, 2008 (boomark / email).