How to Prevent Becoming the Victim of a Home Fire

• Children 4 and under
• Older adults ages 65+
• African Americans and Native American Americans
• The poorest Americans
• Persons living rural areas

What do these groups have in common? If you said that they were the groups most likely to be the victims of a fire, then you would be correct. Of course, these groups are not the only ones affected by home fires. And, while these are sobering facts, consider these additional fire facts collected by the CDC:

• On average, one person dies every 158 minutes due to a fire in the U.S.
• 4 out 5 deaths due to fire occur in the home.
• Most victims of fire die due to smoke or toxic gases and not from burns.
• Males make up 64% of the total costs of fire/burn injuries incurring medical bills of $4.8 billion; females account for $2.7 billion in medical bills due to fire.
• Fatal fire and burn injuries cost an average of $3 billion per year.

It seems like wintertime is one of the most common times of the year to hear about homes being burned. Perhaps it is because people get careless with their fireplace safety or maybe it's because we are so busy, that we overlook simple fire prevention steps. But whatever the cause, the result is always one of despair, distress and grief. And while the numbers of household fires have decreased in recent years, it has not been alleviated. There are many things we can all do to reduce the risk of becoming the victim of a house fire. Here are some basic fire prevention tips from the Center for Disease Control:

• Never leave food unattended on a stove; this is the primary cause of residential fires.
• Keep cooking areas free of flammable objects such as potholders, towels, etc...
• Do not wear long flowing clothes-especially sleeves that are loose- when cooking.
• Do not smoke in bed or leave cigarettes unattended; this is the leading cause of fire related deaths.
• Do not empty smoldering ashes in a trash can and keep ash trays away from upholstered furniture and curtains.
• Do not place portable space heaters near flammable materials such as drapery.
• Keep all matches and lighters out of reach of children!
• Install smoke alarms and sprinklers on every floor of the home and be sure they are in rooms where people sleep.
• Check the batteries in smoke detectors frequently; a good rule of thumb is to check them whenever you adjust your clock for Daylight Savings Time.
• Devise a family escape route and practice it at least monthly. In the plan, have at least 2 different ways each family member can get out from every room and designate a safe place in front of the home for family member to escape to.

Being the victim of a fire-no matter how large or small the fire- is a frightening, traumatic occurrence. Taking time to do all that you can to avoid being part of the statistics is worth it.

To learn more about how to prevent fires, visit Brothers Fire of MN. Article independently authored by Janet Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Brothers Fire Protection. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.

Official Distributor for Siemens Fire Alarm Systems in Wisconsin

Brothers Fire Protection is excited to announce that we have recently become an official distributor for Siemens Fire Alarm Systems in Wisconsin!

Brothers Fire continues to offer fire protection services in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. We also work with Fike, Bosch, Jeron, DSC, and Tektone.

For more information on fire protection from Brothers Fire, visit our website at www.brothersfire.com.

Commercial Fire Alarms and Control Panels

What to Be Aware of so You Do Not Get Burned

Before there were modern day fire alarm control panels and easy-to-use touch screen computer interfaces, the only defense against fire was for an individual to call for emergency response services. The first electric smoke detector was patented over 100 years ago, but was unable to be affordably mass produced until around 1970. Prior to then only large businesses were able to afford smoke detectors. Up until fairly recently most fire alarm control systems were also prohibitively expensive for all but the largest companies. Fire control equipment is constantly evolving as are the fire codes. There are many considerations to be concerned with when dealing with fire control panels and fire suppression systems.

As advancements in electronics and computers were made the cost of fire alarms have leveled. Newer effective fire suppression chemicals have also increased the effectiveness of fire suppression systems. Depending upon the type and purpose of the building, specific types of fire suppression systems may be required for the intended purpose. For example, restaurants will require a different fire suppression system than a computerized data center.

Of all the varying types of suppression systems available on the market, the most commonly installed is a standard wet pipe system which is what most of the public has seen throughout retail shopping stores. Other systems can be dry pipe systems or strictly use a chemical suppression system designed for sensitive electronics or conditions where grease or other flammable liquids may be present.

If the building is in the planning stages a basic fire sprinkler can seem like a sizable investment. If the building in question is already completed or being purchased retrofitting the structure may be necessary in order to bring the property up to minimum fire code requirements. The cost can be much higher than new construction. It is important to note regarding real estate transactions of commercially zoned property that real estate agents will very likely be ill equipped to make an informed assessment of any fire control panel or suppression system. Contacting a fire alarm or security company like, Brothers Fire Protection, which may inspect fire suppression equipment may be necessary to prevent additional costly oversights after the real estate transaction has been completed.

Regardless of the type of business, it is mandatory to have an inspection performed of any fire sprinkler or suppression system present at regularly scheduled intervals. Usually the interval is consistent with a one year period. In many jurisdictions, however, it may be more frequently required.

To learn more about fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, and fire suppression systems contact Brothers Fire Protection.

Article independently authored by Dan Elliott. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Brothers Fire Protection. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.