Top Vids

FireScienceDegree.com recently published a blog post entitled, 25 Must See YouTube Videos About Fire Prevention.  Here is number 1:

FireScienceDegree.com is dedicated to providing the most comprehensive guide to accredited colleges and universities which offer fire science degrees.

Disability and Fire

Annually, an estimated 1,700 residential building fires involving individuals with mental disabilities are reported to U.S. fire departments and cause an estimated 85 deaths, 250 injuries, and $61 million in total loss.  Additionally, there are an estimated 700 residential building fires involving individuals with physical disabilities that occur each year, resulting in 160 deaths, 200 injuries, and $26 million in property loss.

According to the reports, the majority of the residential building fires involving individuals with mental (62 percent) and physical (63 percent) disabilities occur in one- and two-family dwellings.  Cooking, at 22 percent, is the leading cause of residential fires where a physical disability is reported as a human factor contributing to the ignition of the fire.  This differs from the leading cause of residential fires where a mental disability is reported as a human factor contributing to ignition.  In these types of fires, intentional is the leading fire cause, at 40 percent.  Fire incidence involving individuals with disabilities occur most often in January and December.  In addition, these fires show a tendency to peak in the late afternoon to early evening hours.

The USFA has released the following two topical reports on residential building fires involving individuals with disabilities.

1. Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals With Mental Disabilities
2. Residential Building Fires Involving Individuals With Physical Disabilities

High Cost of Non-Compliance

I jokingly tell people that the reason I got into fire prevention is because I don't need any more friends. Everyone seems to hate it when the fire inspector comes around. People seem to be most afraid of the potential cost to correct any fire code violations that the inspector may find.  However, as fire inspectors our responsibilities in code enforcement are to, not only protect ourselves, but also the business owner.

We protect the business owner by identifying fire hazards in their business.  By identifying and correcting these hazards loss of a business property, time, and lives can be avoided.  However, fire inspections also protect the business owner, by ensuring that if an incident does occur the businesses insurance company will make any necessary payments.  Often times, insurance companies try to find a way not to pay, and if the facilities are not up to current fire codes then it is easy for the insurance company to deny the claims.

The Insurance Journal recently reported that a fire destroyed, restaurant in Massachusetts was recently denied it's insurance claim, and court ordered to repay a $15,000 insurance advance. The judge based his ruling on the fact that the restaurant had been operating with an out of date fire suppression system. You can read the entire article here, Massachusetts Judge: Obsolete Fire-Suppression Means No Claims Paid.

As fire prevention professionals it is our responsibility to educate business and industry representatives on the fact that we are not just there to hurt them, fight against them, or shut down their business, but that we are there to partner with them to ensure the continued success and longevity of there enterprise.

What in the HDPE is going on? - REVISITED

After the original post, What in the HDPE is going on?, I received several comments and some other useful information.

A practice that I have started is to make any contractor that submits plans utilizing HDPE for fire service undergrounds, to also submit cut sheets for the exact brand/type of HDPE beign utilized.  A recent submittal by Sim-Oak Mechanical produced a wealth of information. 

• HDPE approved for fire mains is black with a red stripe.
• HDPE approved for fire mains needs to be DR-9, as DR-9 is rated for the NFPA 24 required 200psi pressure test.
• HDPE approved for fire mains should comply with AWWA C906 or ASTM D3035 or NSF/ANSI 61

Here are some reader comments, via Linked In:

Dominick Kasmauskas • If it meets the NFPA Standards for Fire Protection and is allowed by your local or state codes and standards, plus the underground contractors are trained and/or certified (if there exists a certification) for using the process, the item in question will generally be supported by the fire sprinkler industry.


ALBERT MIGNONE • HDPE [high density poly ethylene] can do many things but cross-linked LDPE [low density poly ethylene] might be better. It does almost everything the HDPE can do but with a better coeficient of friction. [You can bet more water through the same diameter tubing.]

Pex and/or Fire Pex are good alternatives and are making headways into sprinkler systems in the central and western parts of the country. The Pex materials carry warranties that other pipes and tubing do not have. They also are less likely to fail in some freeze situations because of how they are installed.I would like to see some data on success or failures and real cost numbers for installations.