Archive for January, 2012

Fire Statistics in the UK

Every year, a significant amount of fire incidents happen in the United Kingdom and a significant amount of deaths and injuries also occur during these fires. Having a detailed record of these facts and figures can be of great help in creating methods and devices to further lessen such unpleasant incidents. Also, having a detailed record may help concerned authorities in pinpointing the most common causes and therefore having the opportunity to act on it.

According to the Fire Statistics, UK, there were a total of 804,100 fire incidents that were responded to by the local authority fire and rescue services. Of these fire incidents, there are at least 443 fire related deaths that occurred. The most common area of fire incidents, as said in the report occurred in dwelling places. The fatality rates were highest for people aged 80 and above. Of these fire incidents, more or less 31,000 happened in buildings and 61% of it was accidental. Of the total casualties that were recording during the year, 36 people died in fires that happened inside buildings.
Read the rest of this entry »

Fire Safety and Prevention – Basic Fire Equipment Used by Firefighters

Being a firefighter is an exciting and awesome job. Nowadays, firefighters battle more than just fires. They respond to all types of emergencies such as medical and hazardous materials incidents. They should be equipped with the proper equipment for rescue and to fight fires. These equipment ranges from big machines like fire trucks to elongated tools like fire hose reels. To effectively fight fire, a firefighter must be well-trained in the use of firefighting equipment. Here is a list of some of the most important equipment a firefighter needs to rescue and save lives.

The fire truck is obviously the most important equipment a firefighter need. Its basic function is to pump water using an engine via the water contained in the vehicle or the fire hydrant. Usually a fire truck is known for its bright red color but some countries employ the use of green or yellow fire trucks. All fire trucks have a seating of five firefighters, a two-way radio, emergency lights and sirens.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tips For Making Your Haunted House Fire Retardant

Do you know what is scarier than the scariest haunted house? A haunted house that gets shut down by the local fire marshal. In most jurisdictions the fire marshals are now making haunted houses use fire retardant products, like drywall, or plastic sheeting (polyethylene) that is Fire Retardant.

Some haunted houses have been made to install basic walls in recent years, because their fire marshals insisted they were necessary for meeting the fire safety requirements. Did you know there are far less expensive options available?

Tip # 1: Black Fire Retardant plastic sheeting/polyethylene to the rescue! Fire marshal’s love this product for this application. This polyethylene has been chemically altered when it was extruded, so it can no longer contribute significantly as a fuel source in the event of a fire. No more “exciting fires”! This product provides a very low cost option for making your haunted attractions meet the local codes.

Read the rest of this entry »