Our attitude toward fire safety must change
Joe Inorio
Captain (Retired)
Sauk Village, Illinois
I am a retired fire officer from Illinois with 27 years of active duty. I read with great interest “The Treadmill” by William F. Crapo in the August 1997 issue.
I agree that there is a fire problem of significant proportion in the United States. I believe this problem stems from poor behavioral attitudes toward fire safety awareness. I also agree that the fire service must be in a constant state of preparedness to reduce the terrible losses of life and property. This preparedness would certainly include proper staffing, thorough training, top-notch equipment, and leadership.
However, as much as it is a primary function to be prepared on a reactive level, I believe the primary mission of the fire service should be one of proactive efforts in fire safety education and fire prevention. The fire service as a whole must become as aggressive in preventing fires as it is in suppressing them. To do this, our political and fire service leaders must work to provide the necessary financial resources to build a strong fire prevention organization with people who will be dedicated to the concept of “Protection through Prevention.”
Even though the number of fires has declined in recent years, the statistics are still shameful. I have read America Burning. The statistics are outright appalling. American is still burning, and unless we put forth some very strong measures toward fire prevention, the statistics from the next generation may not be much different from the current ones.
We know smoke detectors in at least 40 percent (a conservative figure) of homes are not functional due to poor maintenance–in some instances, as a result of apathy and ignorance. Let us dream and say that we can educate everyone to maintain their smoke detectors and increase their effectiveness to 95 percent. What a dream! That still does not necessarily reduce the average dollar loss per fire, which the author`s research showed as a 41.5 percent increase. The injury statistics will not change appreciably, especially for firefighters.
We know what should be done. We can employ aggressive educational efforts using prime-time television commercials, especially during children`s shows. Another option would be to implement mandatory fire safety education courses from preschool through the 12th grades. Also, fire personnel should project a strong presence in the neighborhoods, focusing primarily on potential fire hazards. We could develop a program that encourages residents to invite fire personnel into their homes to identify potential hazards. We must exert as much energy in the areas of fire safety awareness and fire safety education as law enforcement exerts on crime prevention.
Another major ally in the war against fire is residential sprinklers. Many of the occupancies that have them have them only because they were part of the construction. We know sprinklers have a tremendous success record. We also know that sprinkler systems for residential occupancies are not very expensive. If we work to have the installation of sprinklers increased in residences, we will see a reduction in the loss of life, the number of injuries, and the extent of property loss. However, a national effort is needed for success. The effort must begin with Congress and the White House and then extend to the state legislatures and local governments. The battle against fire in America will not be won unless it is fought by everyone. Fire safety education should begin “at the cradle” and continue to the grave.
As a pragmatist, however, I know fire disasters will never be eliminated, but if we look at the examples of other countries, such as Japan, we will see that we can dramatically reduce our losses. The Tri-Data report “International Concepts in Fire Protection” reveals how Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand waged national efforts to curtail the Red Devil.
I believe further that for the fire service to be successful in carrying out the mandates of the government, it must separate totally from EMS. There are many outstanding and dedicated paramedics in the fire service. However, dual functions will not permit firefighters to focus their total energies on fire prevention.
We know what we have to do. The big question is, Do we have the courage and conviction to develop solutions? Also, how can we get America as a whole to realize that we must work together–every man, woman, and child–to bring the Red Devil to its knees?
Will our legacy to the next generation be “It`s now your problem” or “We have solved the problem and have implemented solutions; it is now your responsibility to continue and improve [them]”?
