Automatic Sprinkler Devices: Debunking Myths
Automatic sprinkler devices have been used to secure people's health as well as their land for over a century. However, they are not widely used because of the myths surrounding them.
Myth: Water Damage is Worse Than Fire Damage
To begin with, some people assume that the damage caused by fire is more tolerable than the damage caused by water from the sprinkler system. Really, the damage caused by sprinkler water is less severe than the damage caused by the water used by firefighters using hose pipes. That is still smaller than the harm that will be caused if flames erupted uncontrollably. Sprinkler releases up to twenty-four gallons of water every minute while a hosepipe releases up to a hundred and twenty-five gallons in every minute.
Myth: All Sprinkler Heads Go Off Simultaneously
Another major misconception is that in the case of fire, every head on the sprinkler goes off. On the contrary, each head is activated separately by temperatures that are above a hundred and fifty-five degrees. In most instances, only one head is used to control residential fires. Moreover, research indicated that in all the occurred fires, eighty-two percent were controlled by less than two heads (Ford, 2012).
Myth: Smoke Detectors Alone Provide Sufficient Protection
Other individuals believe that a smoke detector alone is sufficient to provide protection against fire. On the contrary, smoke detectors are used to provide an early warning in case of a fire breakout but are not usable in extinguishing the fire. They are also not efficient in protecting those that cannot escape from fire such as children, disabled or older adults. In most cases, smoke detectors have been known to fail when the batteries are dead. In such situations, not only are they unable to protect against fire, but also they do not provide early warnings of fire breakouts. Moreover, a combination of fire warning and sprinkler can be more effective in protecting both property and lives from fire.
Question 7
The Role of Code Enforcement in Fire Prevention
Code enforcement refers to ways and means that have been put in place to ensure that every member of the community complies with the laws and regulations that have been laid down for fire prevention. It has been used as a tool that ensures compliance with codes, regulations, laws, and conducts in the case of fire. Some of the actions associated with code enforcement include inspection, research, analysis as well as public education.
Inspection: Key Step Towards Fire Prevention
Notably, inspection is a key step towards fire prevention. Code enforcement, on the other hand, acts as a backbone in fire inspections. Fire prevention acts as a most effective tool in keeping the community safe from fire incidents. Although firefighters do some great work in containing the fire, in most instances, the damage is always done. In fact, the only way of avoiding damage and protecting lives is through fire prevention. A strong code enforcement ensures that fire inspections are thorough and thereby, the number of fire breakouts are minimized. As a result, massive destruction is contained even before it happens (Coffman, 2013).
Pre-Fire Planning: Assessing Risks and Taking Preventive Measures
Pre-fire planning is equally important in preventing fire breakouts. Planning involves assessing the possibility of risk occurrence and taking preventive measures. Incident data is useful in risk assessment, and it provides enough information to ensure informed decision-making. Such decisions include; the number of fire stations to set up in every community, the equipment to be installed in the fire stations as well as in homesteads such as smoke detectors and sprinklers, and also the availability of emergency response. Risk assessment provides information on the areas that are impacted by emergency response and thereby prevent the occurrence of these risks (Crawford, 2014).
References
Crawford, J. (2014). Community Risk Reduction. Firerescuemagazine.com. Retrieved from http://www.firerescuemagazine.com/articles/print/volume-9/issue-12/fire-prevention-and-education/community-risk-reduction.html
Coffman, B. (2013). Code Enforcement: Critical for a Successful Fire Prevention Program. Fireengineering.com. Retrieved from http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/print/volume-166/issue-01/features/code-enforce-critic-success-fire-prevent-prog.html
Ford, T. (2012). Fire and emergency services safety and survival. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
