« Arizona legislature - more liability for HOA's | Main | Condo and apartment dwellers lax about fire safety »
October 8, 2007
Don't Be a Statistic
[NOTE] Shortly after writing this we decided to start tracking fires in community associations a little more closely. There is now a page on the web site that covers the stories and has some resources to help
Fall is finally making it's way into the midwestand with it comes the inevitable stories that wish weren't as frequent as they are - fires. Last year, it seemed like every third story I ran across was about some condo or HOA building burning down. And not just the somewhat suspicious fires in new construction during a down market. I'm talking about scented candles, fireplaces, stoves, cigarettes, barbecues, furnaces, hot water heaters, and countless other everyday items that burned down units, homes, multiple buildings and whole associations. In tracking the news for the past six years, I've often warned about the danger of fires, but last year was different, with more, and larger fires.
I would like to urge all associations to remind the residents about fire hazards, especially if your association has attached walls or is a mid- or high-rise. A fire in one generally spreads, or at least damages neighboring units.
Ask them not to use candles that aren't in a safe container; make sure all fireplace chimneys are cleaned and are screened or glassed in; have furnaces and other heating appliances checked (many utility coompanies offer this service); move all barbecues at least 10' away from the buildings; remind smokers that most building fires are started by cigarettes and to be extra careful as the home they burn down may be more than their own; replace smoke detector batteries and test them; check fire extinguishers; don't use space heaters; you get the idea. Here's an article and list that you can just re-print and send out.
A touchy issue that needs to be considered is the senior living alone. Here are a few tips:
Americans over the age of 65 are at the greatest risk of dying in a fire. Seventy-five percent of the 1,300 seniors who perish each year in fires do not have a working smoke detector in their homes.
If you are a senior, remember to do the following:
-Have a smoke detector installed in your home; make sure it is checked out at least monthly.
-Have a licensed electrician examine the wiring in your home; also have the wiring on your appliances checked out.
-Keep space heaters away from combustible materials.
-Never cook in loose-fitting clothing that could catch fire over the stove.
Avoid smoking inside the house; if you must smoke, do not smoke in bed, around upholstered furniture or near anything that may ignite easily.
-Keep your address and directions to your house next to your phone, in case you have to call to report an emergency.
-If fire breaks out, put a cloth or towel over your mouth and nose, and crawl low on the floor to the nearest exit.
-In case of a fire; get out of the house immediately; call for emergency assistance; and do not go back into the house for any reason.
-Talk to other seniors about starting a fire prevention education group; invite a fire official to a meeting.
This is National Fire Prevention Week - use it as a starting point. Cleaning up after a fire, dealing with insurance companies and consturction crews, re-locating owners - all are not fun things to do and they can be worse if inuries or deaths result. Yes, everybody heard all of this before, but most let it slide until after it affects them directly. Try to reach them before that happens.
Posted by joewest at October 8, 2007 7:43 PM