IAFC: CO detector alarm calls not a burden to fire service
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) refutes the position of the natural gas industry that asserts that carbon monoxide detector alarm calls are a nuisance and are creating unnecessary burdens on fire service resources and that therefore detector standards should be revised to make the devices less sensitive.
In testifying before the Consumer Products Safety Commission, Garry Briese, CAE, executive director of the IAFC, noted that more than 1,200 lives had been saved by CO detectors over a six-month period. Briese also pointed out that experience has shown that fire departments trained and equipped to handle CO calls can provide this service without undue burden.
The IAFC developed and implemented an education and training program for fire departments that addresses how to respond to CO detector calls without overwhelming the department`s resources. More than 140 train-the-trainer sessions have been held throughout the United States and Canada (see News in Brief, June 1996).
According to Briese, “A big reason for most CO calls is that consumers do not understand where to install their detector or how to react when the detector activates.” The workshop, he notes, shows fire departments how to effectively manage their CO call loads through public education on how CO detectors work and what to do when a CO detector sounds.
The IAFC, pointing out that CO alarm investigations have provided the nation`s fire service with an important new life safety service in their communities, says, “we are now learning how to respond to these alarms much as fire departments learned 25 years ago about response procedures for smoke detector calls.” For additional information, contact the IAFC at (703) 273-0911.
