Below are two articles which call for greater public awareness regarding the danger of grease causing fires and deaths.
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Home, hazardous home
Don't overlook safety risks that can cause accidents or fires
December 4, 2003
(Note: this article has been redacted)
By KENT STEINRIEDE Staff reporter
Home can be a dangerous place. The more time a person spends there, the more familiar the surroundings become. This means that safety hazards can be overlooked.
Sometimes it's blind neglect. It could take weeks to replace a dead battery in a smoke detector, although you walk by it several times a day.
Also, everyday tasks like cooking or changing a light bulb can cause an accident when you try to do them in a rush. And these days, who isn't in a rush?
In the emergency rooms of Christiana Care facilities, Dr. Robert Rosenbaum sees all types of injuries that take place in the home. Many of these can be avoided if you slow down, look around the house and use common sense. "If it seems like you're taking a risk, rethink it," Rosenbaum says.
FIRE EXTINGUISHERS
There are different types of fire extinguishers: class A for general fires, such as wood, paper and cloth; class B for grease and other flammable liquids; and class C for electrical fires. Make sure that you have the proper extinguisher for an area. For example, class B is best in the kitchen.
Check to make sure your extinguisher is fully charged. If not, have it charged or replace it.
WINDOWS
Many hazards are built into your house and should be replaced, Kerrigan says. Low windows, less than than 18 inches above the ground, should have tempered glass, as well as any glass in a bathroom.
SMOKE ALARMS AND CARBON MONOXIDE DETECTORS
Most important, change the batteries in these devices regularly. When firefighters arrive at a house fire, it's common to find that the smoke detectors have dead - or no - batteries, says Richard R. Ward, assistant state fire marshal.
Each room should have a smoke detector and a carbon monoxide detector. Hard-wired systems, in which all the detectors ring when one detects smoke, are best and required in some jurisdictions.
ELECTRICITY
Make sure that your home has GFI (ground-fault interrupter) outlets throughout the kitchen and anywhere that there is concrete or water. Outdoor outlets should be GFI also, Kerrigan says.
Just as important, make sure that the GFI outlets are working properly. To do this, try the "night-light test." Press the "test" button on the outlet and then plug in a night light. Switch it on. The night light should not light up. If it does, the GFI outlet may not have been installed correctly or may be broken, Kerrigan says.
Avoid creating an "octopus" at a wall outlet. Instead, use a power strip with a circuit breaker. Invest in a quality power strip that is more likely to safely cut the power when it becomes overloaded, says Ward, who suggests avoiding the cheapest electrical equipment on the market.
Never buy electric products that are not Underwriters Laboratory (UL)-tested, he says. You get what you pay for.
Don't run electric extension cords under rugs or carpet. They can get hot and the plastic casing may chafe away from people walking over them.
IN THE KITCHEN
Cuts, burns and fires happen every day in kitchens. To avoid cuts, keep your collection of knives organized and know the proper way to use them, says Ed Hennessy, a certified executive chef who teaches cooking at Delaware Technical & Community College.
When cutting, protect your fingers by curling them while holding whatever you are cutting. Always keep your eyes on what you're cutting. If someone talks to you, stop cutting, Hennessy says.
When cooking on the stove top, turn pot handles to a 45-degree angle from the front of the stove so that passersby are less likely to knock into them. Never leave the kitchen when a pot is boiling. Finally, have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, Hennessy says. "I have a fire extinguisher in my kitchen and I've used it once."
Reach Kent Steinriede at 324-2894 or ksteinriede@delawareonline.com.
TIPS FOR A SAFE HOLIDAY
During the holiday season, the conditions are right for accidents at home. People are in a rush, trying to juggle daily life and holiday preparations. They're also entertaining more and sometimes drinking too much.
"People become careless," says Richard R. Ward, assistant state fire marshal.
This means that people should be even more cautious these days. "Don't take any shortcuts."
ºBATTERIES: Buy plenty of batteries for the holidays. Never remove the batteries from a smoke or carbon monoxide detector to use them in a toy.
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STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT FIRES
College offers courses in fire protection, a fast-growing field
September 4, 2003
By MURALI BALAJI Staff reporter
Section: Local
Page: 1, 2B
At Delaware Technical & Community College's Stanton campus burn lab there is an art and a science to starting fires.
The mixing of water and heptane - a highly volatile and flammable liquid derived from petroleum, combined with a spark sets off a one-minute demonstration that shows how a powerful blaze can start from something as simple as kitchen grease.
"Very few people, even in the fire industry, actually see a fire when it starts," said Bob Foraker, head of the school's fire protection and safety management programs.
Students from around the region, including Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey are enrolled in the program, which provides fire safety and inspection training. Delaware Tech is one of nine colleges in the country offering degrees in fire protection, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The program is only offered at the Stanton campus.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that jobs in the fire protection industry - including fire marshals, fire and code inspectors and fire safety equipment designers - are likely to grow by 20 percent in the next five years
Delaware Tech's training prepares students for those careers, Foraker said. Many of the 50 students enrolled in the program are full-time or volunteer firefighters, he said. Deputy Wilmington Fire Chief John Kalinowski said many Wilmington firefighters have gone through the program.
Foraker said students simulate real fires by recreating rooms in the burn lab and starting a controlled blaze to test fire tolerance and the rate at which certain objects burn. Foraker said studying fires in the burn lab gives students a better understanding of what to look for when investigating a fire.
Fire protection jobs have grown and are outpacing the number of graduates from programs like Delaware Tech's. Those who get degrees in fire protection engineering technology often become fire inspectors or fire safety consultants. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there are 12,160 fire inspectors throughout the country and their average salary is about $44,000.
Foraker and instructor Mark Noval said the 9/11 attacks and the growing importance of fire protection and safety inspired more people to go into the field. Jeff Ceban, 23, spent over a year with a fire sprinkler company before joining the program. He said he would like to become an arson investigator after graduating in 2005.
"There's a lot more than people realize about fires," said Ceban, who is in his second year. "I thought I knew a little bit, but they've taught me so much more. It's very challenging."
Second-year student Lew Fanny, 27, earned a bachelor's degree in physical education, but after finding few opportunities as a teacher, he joined the Delaware Tech program. He said he would like to get into a fire marshal's office or work as a claims investigator for an insurance firm.
For some in the program, the desire to prevent deadly fires like the February blaze at a Rhode Island nightclub that killed nearly 100 people is motivation for careers in fire protection. First-year student Matt Jackson, 19, said he would like to own nightclubs in Delaware and wanted to learn more about safety and fire prevention equipment to keep such venues safe.
"I want to make Delaware a model for fire safety," Jackson said.
Students in the fire protection and safety management programs at Delaware Technical & Community College in Stanton watch a fire demonstration to illustrate what happens when a sprinkler system douses a flammable liquid with water. The result is similar to a kitchen grease fire.
TO LEARN MORE
For more information on the school's Fire Protection Engineering Technology and Safety Management Technology courses, contact Mark Noval at 454-3953.