A major tragedy was averted on June 10, 2013 when all the 65 residents of a Sea Fox apartment complex building in Washington escaped unhurt in a massive fire that burned all of the 18 units of the building. A fire that probably started in the attic caused the entire roof of the building to collapse upon the six units on the top floor while the floors below bellowed with smoke and fire. The fire was so bad that firefighters could not enter the building. The roof was collapsing and every inch of the building was raging with fire. The firefighters in fact, had to passively fight the fire from outside.
The saving grace in this terrifying episode turned out to be a fire that alerted every single resident in every unit, buying them enough time to wake up and escape. Just about two months ago, there was an update in the building codes for the area and the property developers were literally forced to install a new fire alarm system. The new code and the adherence to it turned out to be a real lifesaver on the 10th of June.
So here’s just another example how a fire alarm can really be helpful in saving lives in tragic times. The unfortunate reality still remains that a large number of American households do not have the appropriate fire alarm systems as required. For complete safety and protection, every room of every home must have smoke detectors and long life batteries. Studies by the National Fire Protection Association or NFPA show that most fire alarm failures are a result of disconnected, dead or missing batteries. In addition, it is also important that homeowners educate themselves about the proper use and maintenance of fire alarm systems to be able to effectively use them in times of need.
Another study conducted by the NFPA a few years ago showed that between 2005 and 2009, more than a third (38%) of deaths due to fire were caused in homes that had no alarm or smoke detectors system at all, and about a quarter (24%) resulted from fires in which the alarm system failed to operate. The numbers clearly indicate that an up to date, fully functioning, state of the art alarm system can be a major way to prevent death in house fires.
The Washington apartment building incident proves that there should be absolutely no compromise when it comes to fire safety, and every homeowner and property developer must install full fledged fire alarm systems with smoke detectors and sprinklers in order to avoid major tragedies and loss of life.
Zach Jefferson
Author – Zach has six years under his belt as a marketing manager within the home security industry. He is in charge of keeping site information as accurate as possible, while developing new content ideas for consumers.