Its the middle of the night. The house is full of smoke. You cant see. You cant breathe. The smoke detector is so loud. You cant think straight. What do you do? Get out!
This unfortunately is a nightmare countless people have experienced and thanks to their smoke detectors, have survived. Smoke detectors save lives. Its that simple. According to Chief Russ Volkert of the Dover Fire Department, they are the single most important life saving device in the last thirty years.
Its important you have at least one smoke detector on each level of your home, says Volkert. If you sleep with the door shut you should have one in the bedroom.
Not all smoke detectors are created equal. Photo ionizing detectors are equipped with ventilated ionization chambers that consist of two battery-charged metal plates and a trace amount of the element americium-241. Ionization smoke alarms work by ionizing airs nitrogen and oxygen atoms to detect harmful smoke in indoor environments. These detectors are the most common and cost $6-$10.
Photoelectric smoke alarms use light-sensing technology to identify the presence of smoke. A photoelectric smoke detection system is typically made up of three main elements: a light source, a lens and a photo-sensor, which is usually placed at a 90° angle to the light beam. More expensive than a photo ionizing detector, they run about $16-$24.
Dual detectors are also available. Detectors are best placed on the ceiling. All detectors need to be replaced every several years as they become less effective and can be done so by simply shipping them back to the manufacturer for proper disposal.
Volkert says most of the fires his department sees are in homes or businesses with smoke detectors.
Most fires are preventable. Candles cause a great number of fires. Simply leaving the candle unattended is not the cause of the fire. Placing the candle in a place where it is potentially hazardous is what causes the fire. Candles too close to dried flower arrangements, curtains or burning a candle without a proper means for catching the melted wax tend to cause fires. Even pets can knock over a burning candle while its owner sleeps.
Other common causes of accidental fires include smoking, cooking and space heater mishaps. Having a fire extinguisher in the home is a must. Some fires can be put out before they grow too large resulting in only minimal property damage.
If your home is on fire Volkert says to stay low, crawl to an exit and meet at a prearranged meeting place. People tend to overlook preplanning, says Volkert. Having an escape plan is important, and once you are out having a designated meeting place is vital because not all family members may be home the at the time the fire occurs. Make a plan and practice it. Your plan should consist of two ways out.
When a family experiences a fire they are first in shock. Some victims have described it as a similar feeling to being robbed. When significant damage occurs it is usually the irreplaceable things like photos and personal items that cannot be replaced that are the most upsetting, explains Volkert. We try to get the victims in touch with organizations like the Red Cross for help. Members of the community and the victims church are usually very helpful in assisting the family during and after their ordeal.
Volkert says, As a firefighter it is devastating and unsettling to see what these victims go through. There is an upside to our job and that helps to equal out the terrible side.
The fire department does much more than put out fires. We have EMS (Emergency Medical Services), fire inspection, community education, a HazMat team, a joint dive team with New Philadelphia and we do trench rescue, says Volkert.
Significant advances have been made in how firefighter put out fires. The equipment they use is improved and the personal protection gear is better than ever.
Volkert explains, One thing a lot of people dont realize is Tuscarawas County has a centralized dispatch through the Sherriffs department. This allows folks to call 911 in an emergency and the Sherriffs office contacts the appropriate department or departments to best handle the situation based on location and other factors. It used to be individuals had to do this on their own and when you are panicked and your house is on fire it is difficult to know who to call. Sometimes youd have to call more than one department while your house is on fire. Centralized dispatch has made a huge difference for us.
Even when precautions are taken and preventative measures put in place fire can strike and destroy lives and property. Knowing what to do in case of fire is the key to survival.
