Focus on Fire Safety: Residential Fire Sprinklers Save Lives!

Schools, office buildings, factories, and other commercial buildings have benefited from fire protection sprinkler systems for over a century. But what about our homes? Millions of Americans have installed smoke alarms in their homes in the past few decades, but a smoke alarm can only alert the occupants to a fire in the house…it cannot contain or extinguish a fire. Residential sprinkler systems can!

How Sprinklers Can Help

Studies conducted by the U.S. Fire Administration and the Building and Fire Research Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have concluded that:

• When fire sprinklers alone are installed in a residence, the chances of dying in a fire are reduced by 69%, when compared to a residence without sprinklers.
• When smoke alarms alone are installed in a residence, a reduction in the death rate of 63% can be expected, when compared to a residence without smoke alarms.
• When both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers are present in a home, the risk of dying in a fire is reduced by 82%, when compared to a residence without either.

To find out more about residential fire sprinklers and the affordable fire protection they provide, please visit the USFA Web site.

Flood Safety Awareness Week: March 17-21, 2008

Flooding is a coast to coast threat to the United States and its territories in all months of the year. National Flood Safety Awareness Week is intended to highlight some of the many ways floods can occur, the hazards associated with floods, and what you can do to save life and property.

Guilford County Emergency Services reminds everyone to replace their batteries in home safety devices such as Smoke Detectors, Carbon Monoxide Detectors, NOAA Weather Radios, and other safety devices.

For questions about these devices and other preparedness measures, please contact Guilford County Emergency Services at 336-641-7565

March 2nd – 8th will be Severe Weather Awareness Week this year with the Statewide Tornado drill scheduled for Wednesday March 5th at 9:30 am.
 

Two Advanced SKYWARN Severe Weather Spotters classes will be held on Wednesday, March 12th. The first class will begin at 2:00 pm and include radar interpretation techniques. The second class will begin at 7:00 pm. Both classes will be held at our Emergency Services building on Meadowood Street. Everyone is welcome to attend either of these free classes. No registration necessary.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office at 336-641-2278.