October is Fire Prevention Month

With so many families telecommuting and educating from home, it is more important than ever to make your home fire safe.

To kick-off National Home Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 4-10, NJFSAB held a live Side-by-Side Burn Trailer demonstration on Oct. 1,  at the Morris County Fire Academy in Morristown, NJ.  The event is was open to the public and streamed on the NFSA Facebook page.   The demonstration was run by the New Jersey Fire Sprinkler Advisory Board (NJFSAB) in collaboration with the N.J. Division of Fire Safety, Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, and Sprinkler Fitters local Union 696.  David Kurasz, Executive Director of NJFSAB and Rich Mikutsky, Director of the NJ Division of Fire Safety will be leading the presentation.

“When a fire breaks you may only have 3-5 minutes to escape. The burn demonstration shows how dangerously fast fires can spread and how quickly and effectively fire sprinkler systems can control the blaze,” explained Kurasz. “Seeing this first-hand really helps to emphasize how important it is for families to take proactive steps to reduce the risk of home fires and to prepare a fire safety and escape plan.”

The demonstration featured a Side-by-Side Burn Trailer equipped with two rooms, each outfitted with similar furniture. Both rooms have smoke alarms, but only one room has been equipped with a fire sprinkler system.  A small fire is lit in each room allowing the audience to see how quickly a fire can ignite and spread to other items in the room. The room without the sprinkler is often destroyed in seconds, while the flames are quickly suppressed in the room with the fire sprinkler.

Click HERE to watch the burn demonstration.

Fire sprinklers installed in homes can reduce the risk of dying in a fire by 80 percent, and reduce property loss by 70 percent. The demonstration will also include easy fire safety prevention tips to help reduce the risk of fire in your home.

“Serve Up Fire Safety in the Kitchen!” is the theme of Fire Prevention Week education campaign sponsored by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Cooking is the number one cause of home fires and home fire injuries. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of fires in the kitchen.

Here are some simple tips to help make your home and kitchen more fire safe:

• Don’t Leave: Stay in the kitchen when frying, boiling, broiling or grilling and turn off the burner if you leave even for a short period of time.
• Check Regularly: When simmering, baking or roasting check the item regularly and use a timer.
• Remove Flammable items: Keep all loose clothing and flammable items (curtains, dishcloths, towels, paper, food wrappers) away from stovetops and heat sources.
• Create a 3-foot “kid-free zone”: Keep children away from the stove and food prep areas and pets off counters.
• Clean: Always clean-up food and grease residue on and near cooking surfaces.
• Maintain: Make sure all appliances are in good working order and if involved in a fire do not use until repaired.
• Call 9-1-1: If a fire breaks out get everyone safely out of the house and call 9-1-1.

“October is dedicated to Fire Prevention, and we strongly encourage people of all ages to make fire safety a priority. By taking a few simple preventative steps and being aware of potential fire risks, everyone can do their part to reduce the risk of home fires and stay healthy and safe,” said Kurasz.