By Robert Barron, Staff Writer
Enid firefighters will inspect homes for fire hazards if invited, and they could be saving lives.
Enid Fire Department checks for potential fire dangers in the home as a free service.
“We don’t get invited too often, but we’re happy to come out and do it. It’s not really an inspection, it’s more of a survey,” said Fire Marshal Ken Helms.
The firefighters’ intentions are to find potential hazards and help families develop a safety program in their homes. Part of that is making sure there are smoke alarms where they are needed, in every sleeping room and in the hallway outside the sleeping rooms. In most homes that totals four smoke detectors. The fire department also provides a smoke detector to homes of low-income families.
“The purpose of the smoke alarm is to wake you if you are asleep. The assumption is that if you’re awake you will discover a fire,” he said.
The most common problems are overloaded outlets, all types of electric hazards and misuse of portable heaters. Heating homes with the kitchen stove or an oven is not only a fire hazard but a carbon monoxide hazard, Helms said.
In some homes, housekeeping is a problem. If the room is cluttered sometimes it is hard to keep flammable items away from heat sources. Wherever an electrical item is plugged into an outlet it provides a heat source, and that heat must be allowed to dissipate. If there is clutter stacked on top of it or against it, there is a hazard for a fire.
Fires often are caused by food left unattended on the stove or flammable items too close to hot burners. Assistant Fire Marshal Todd Hays said flammable items should be kept away from heat sources, and space heaters should be three feet away from sources.
Ninety percent of home fires are preventable, Helms said. The key is having the family prepared if there is a fire. He said most people don’t believe it will happen to them.
“Your family needs to know how to get out of the house if there is a fire,” he said. “You should have a plan and go over it with your children.”
Helms said it should be practiced at home.
Enid firefighters maintain a fire safety house they often demonstrate at schools, but he said it is not the same as doing the drills in your own home.
“For a long time a smoke alarm was the answer to home fire safety, but that isn’t the whole message. It’s a full package,” he said.
A coming trend is installation of home sprinkler systems in new homes. Helms said the cost is less than many items often placed in new homes, and some areas already require sprinklers. Enid does not.
“We encourage people to look at it if you are building a home, it will save on insurance, but it’s not yet mandated,” Hays said.
Enid Fire Department will have a home sprinkler system demonstration at the Enid Home Show at 1:30 p.m. April 25. The home show runs April 24-26 at Garfield County Expo Center.
“Be proactive about home fire safety,” Helms said. “Everyone thinks it can’t happen until it does.”
