Fire Codes and Public Information

In light of the recent nightclub fire lets us take a look at how we prepare our firefighters whether they are paid, on call or volunteer to become ambassadors of fire safety.

Yes everybody wants to learn about suppression and technical rescue and building collapse and rapid intervention.

Here is a difficult challenge. You look at the last 100 hours of training you provided your members in your department. I will bet that not one of the hours spent would have helped significantly in the nations most recent tragedy. Heck the deaths in Chicago were not even caused by a fire!

Could everyone of your firefighters being an ambassador of fire safety and prevention have helped. Yes it could have. I am not saying that anything will prepare anybody for what just occurred but I am trying to make a point that once 75 people are jammed into the main exit of a structure with a rapid moving fire not much is going to help anybody except the heroic and expedient actions of firefighters using unconventional and untrained means. I am not sure anything really sophisticated was taking place , there were no 4:1 pulleys, and extrication on backboards and fancy drags or carries,other than quickly putting water on the area to slow spread and just pulling out people as best and as fast as you can.

Let's discuss if we can do anything before that doorway gets jammed and see if we can help for anything in the future.

Every firefighter on your department should know the overall summary of what your fire code specifies even if you photocopy the index page for them. Make sure that they know.

Every firefighter must be required to watch the movies, plan to get out alive, countdown to disaster, and firepower as a minimum. Not just the action parts but every minute from credits to trailer.

Make sure you address every group of citizens in your community. Think of all of them.

Rotary clubs, Lions, Elks and all fraternal organizations. Visiting nurse organizations, high schools at all levels, elderly, parent teacher groups, school bus drivers, business owners, restaurant and club owners, church leaders. And probably some I haven't thought about.

Make sure they understand four major simple facts and repeat and illustrate them at every opportunity and don't stop.

You have no time in a fire. Fire travels with extreme speed.

Fire is dark it is not light. You will not be able to see in a fire.

Fire is toxic. The irritating toxic gases will overcome you.

Fire has extreme heat. No one can survive the 1000 plus degree temperatures.

( Taken and excerpted from Plan to get Out Alive Movie)

Since this fire I have also been made aware of some facts that we need to emphasize to the public because I have been questioned an awful lot about them.

People need to be told that a lighted exit sign is for use before the incident. It will not and cannot be used during the incident. A lighted exit sign should be found by scanning high before a problem occurs. It is of no value during an incident because of its placement it is quickly obscured by smoke. Make sure the public knows it should be used BEFORE an incident.

People should go sit at their table or seat, look and pre-locate more than one exit sign. If there is any question in your mind that one is going to get blocked or that you cannot get through Then get up and walk to the exit to make sure you can get there.

Emergency Lighting is designed to provide light in a power failure. It is of limited value in a fire because of the same reason it will be obscured by smoke. Do not have people rely on that.

Explain to people about how many square feet per person your fire code requires in most places. If at any time they are shoulder to shoulder without clear paths to either of the exits they have PRE-SELECTED, then they are at grave personal risk and they should begin to exit immediately to an area they feel more safe in. It is that simple.

We have told people to stay low in smoke and crawl. While that is sound fire safety advice does it apply in a large crowd situation? Do you want to drop to your knees in a stampede situation? Have we told them the right info or do we need to explain that further? Stay low and crawl in your home, stay as low as you can but on your feet in large crowds.

Carry a keychain or pocket flashlight with you always.

Make sure someone knows where you are.

We all need to be ambassadors of this message.

We all need to advocate for sprinklers in all facilities regardless of age or occupancy.

Fire safety is a full time job, and because you are firefighters you will be asked questions. Make sure we give the right answers. Sometimes we don't explain our message fully.