Fire Safety Archives - Davis Ulmer Fire Protection

Preventing Factory Fires

The first step in fire prevention is safety, and when it comes to preventing factory fires, safety is an absolute priority.

According to the National Fire Protection Agency, fire departments respond to about 37,000 incidences of industrial or manufacturing property fire per year.

Practicing fire safety in a factory setting is a little bit different from practicing fire safety at an apartment complex, your home, or an office building. Fires that occur in large spaces that are full of people and machinery are particularly dangerous; there could be multiple injuries and even deaths caused by asphyxiation.

Practice Your Fire Escape Plan

To practice fire safety in a factory setting, the most important thing to do is make sure the employees know where the closest exits are to them. That way, if a fire occurs, they’ll be able to evacuate quickly.

Unobstructed Exits

Make sure that any fire doors at emergency exits are in full working order at all times and are not blocked. Doors should be regularly inspected by the building or factory owner, as well as local fire experts to ensure they are working.

Safely Store All Cleaning Supplies and Chemicals

If your factory deals with any flammable chemicals you need to be sure that your employees know how to safely use and store them. Make training sessions mandatory, even for long standing employees, in order to keep staff educated.

Want to ensure that your factory is as safe as possible? Davis Ulmer provides the highest level of expertise, quality, customer service, and satisfaction in the fire protection and security industry. We work with customers throughout the Northeast corner of the United States.

Sprinkler System Saves Yet Again

Whether you are at home or in a commercial building when a smoke detector goes off, you’re alerted of a possible fire and potential danger. However, being alerted of a fire will not put a fire out.

Fires can be extremely difficult to put out, and whether one happens in a large commercial building or in a home a smoke detector will only alert you of it, making a sprinkler system your best go-to for practicing fire safety.

Sprinkler systems don’t just warn people of fires as smoke detectors do, they work on putting fires out.

Recently, a sprinkler system put out a fire in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. A grease fire started when a man was cooking his dinner on the stove and grease splashed out, starting a fire.

The flames quickly spread through his kitchen and melted the microwave and cabinets above the stove, spreading to the ceiling. The flames then triggered a sprinkler head in the man’s kitchen, before the fire could do more serious damage. The sprinkler system successfully put out the fire, saving the man’s kitchen, the man’s home, and possibly his life. According to the firemen in the area, if the sprinkler system hadn’t doused the flames, the fire could have spread quickly causing mass destruction.

Fire Sprinkler Systems Help Prevent Fires from Spreading

In residential areas and developments, homes are often close together. A serious fire in one home could cause damage to a home down the road. In this case, the sprinkler system prevented the fire from spreading to other homes.

If you don’t have sprinkler systems in your home or commercial building at this time, learn more about the benefits of installing sprinkler systems offered by Davis-Ulmer Fire Protection Services. We are your full-service fire protection company and work with customers in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.

Staying Safe with Space Heaters

During the winter months, we are all desperate to stay as warm and cozy as we can. In order to stay warm in winter months, you might need something more than your standard home heating system. Many people use a variety of heating units in winter months, including space heaters. Space heaters are a convenient heating unit that provides plenty of warmth in small spaces.

Most space heaters run on electricity while others are fuel-fired. Regardless of the type of space heater, the large majority of them can get extremely hot. You should always have your space he heater on a flat surface, primarily on the ground, and far from anything that could catch fire easily.

Unfortunately, fires happen frequently during winter months and many of them are due to the improper use of space heaters. There are several different ways to safely utilize the convenient heat from a space heater:

Keep the Little Ones Clear

First and foremost, keep children away from the space heater. You should be teaching young children about the dangers of space heaters as soon as they are old enough to understand. Educating children on fire safety is very important.

Set Up is Important

Make sure that you keep your space heater at least three feet away from flammable materials such as curtains, bedding, toilet paper, towels, and other flammable items.

Let It Be Alone

You should not plug a space heater into an outlet where other electrical appliances are plugged in. Too many appliances plugged into one outlet result in overheating which can also result in electrical fires.

Turn It Off

You should never leave a space heater running while you are asleep or while you are not home. It is important that you focus on turning it off whenever necessary or purchase one with one safety features such as an automatic shut-off option.

If you want to protect your residential or commercial space from fires, contact Davis-Ulmer Fire Protection Systems. We are your full-service fire protection company serving New York and surrounding states.

Holiday Season Fire Safety

During the holiday season, the risk of a house fire tremendously increases. With fireplaces blazing, candles glowing, lights twinkling, and ovens baking, the holiday season brings many fire threats along with it. It is important that you and your loved ones remain safe while enjoying all of your holiday traditions.

Oh Christmas Tree!

If you have a real Christmas tree in your home, it is very important to water your tree daily. If a tree is not watered, it can develop brittle branches and become extremely dry. A dry tree is a major fire hazard and it’s important to keep your tree hydrated. You should also keep your tree a safe distance from your fireplace along with any candles or matches that might easily catch a flame.

Merry and Bright Holiday Lights

Holiday lights are beautiful and many families put them both inside and outside each passing year. However, both indoor and outdoor holiday lights can pose as a fire threat if they are not put up or cared for correctly. When putting holiday lights up, throw away any lights that are broken or frayed. When you go to bed or leave your home, you should turn lights off, especially indoor ones. Many outdoor lights do come with a timer which can be a great option if you aren’t home often.

Candles Burning Bright

Many people enjoy burning candles on a regular basis, and candles that smell like sugar cookies and evergreen trees tempt most people during the holiday season. If you are going to burn candles, you need to make sure that they are a safe distance away from curtains, Christmas trees, or anything else that could catch on fire. If you have little ones visiting you during the holiday season, consider using battery-operated candles for your own peace of mind.

Festive Foods

Many people do a lot of cooking during the holiday season. In the midst of wrapping gifts, cleaning the house, and decking the halls, many people walk away from their stove and leave it unattended. If you are the lucky one cooking this holiday season, the best thing you can do is stay in the kitchen and keep an eye on things. Many oven fires occur during the holiday season and most of them are due to people walking away from the kitchen.

We want you and your family to have a safe and fire-free holiday season. The best gift you can give yourself this year is a sprinkler system, Davis Ulmer can help. We are your local fire protection company and serve New York and surrounding areas.

How To Teach Children Fire Safety

It is vital that you teach your children about fire safety at home. Your children should understand what to do in the event of a fire and how to protect themselves against a fire.

Establish an Escape Route

In the event of a house fire, your family should have an established escape plan that you all understand. Your children should know how to get out of each room in your home and how to do so safely. You should establish a meeting point outside, far enough away from the house, so your children know where to meet you once they get outside.

Functioning Windows

You should make sure that your windows can be easily opened by your child and that the screen can be removed easily. You should help your children practice opening and closing the windows in case they had to it by themselves in the event of a fire. Bedroom windows never should be sealed shut or incapable of opening. Many fires happen overnight and they may need that window to get out.

Understand Smoke Detectors

Your children should understand where your smoke detectors are in your home and how they work. They should be familiar with the sound the smoke detector makes so they can recognize it in the event that it is going off. As the adult, you need to ensure that batteries are regularly replaced and the detectors are tested.

Checking for Signs

You should teach your children how to check one side of a door to see if a fire could be burning on the other side. Children should understand how to feel for a fire through a door and be able to establish if there is one. You should also help children find alternative routes out of rooms if a fire is on the other side of their door, especially their bedroom.

Staying Outside

Children need to understand that they should stay out of the burning house once they are safely outside. Many children want to run back inside for pets or toys because they don’t understand the danger of the fire inside. You should make it clear to children that they should not go back inside for absolutely anything once they are outside safely.

These hints are just several points that you should be covering with your children on fire safety. For more fire news and advice, visit Davis Ulmer’s blog. Davis-Ulmer Sprinkler Company is your full-service fire protection company serving New York and surrounding states.

Practice Fireplace Safety this Winter

As cold temperatures get settled in for a long winter’s nap, many of us start to settle in by our fireplace. Many people use their fireplaces frequently in the winter months and something about a fireplace can make a home feel so cozy. However, it is important to understand how to keep your home safe while using your fireplace.

Double Check Safety Devices

If you are planning to use your fireplace this winter, be sure to test your smoke alarms beforehand. If you don’t remember the last time you replaced the batteries, you should do so now. You should be confident that all of your alarms, including a carbon monoxide alarm, are working properly. You should also have a small fire extinguisher on hand in case of emergencies.

Install Safety Screens

If you have young children, or you have young children visiting this holiday season, it is important to have a safety screen installed on your fireplace. Fire screens will keep little hands from reaching into the fire or getting too close to the actual fire itself. The materials surrounding your fireplace, such as glass or metal, can also get extremely hot and will stay hot for hours after the fire is out. Safety screens will also prevent embers from popping out of the fire and into a room, which is especially good if you might leave the room unattended.

Keep Area Clear

If you have a fireplace, you should make sure that the area surrounding your fireplace is cleared out. Many people are guilty of putting gifts around the fireplace to serve as a decoration. Other people often put their Christmas tree right next to their fireplace. You should never put a single thing in close proximity to your fireplace while it’s functioning. You should keep all things, from books, to decorations, to curtains, a safe distance away from your fireplace. Many common household items are flammable and the temperature of the fire itself could cause them to react.

If you are going to use your fireplace this winter, you should do whatever you can in order to make it operate as safely as possible. If you are looking to fireproof your home this winter, let Davis Ulmer assist you. We are your local fire protection company that can assist you in getting the fire protection you need for peace of mind this winter season. We work with customers in the Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and surrounding areas. Contact us today for more info.

Domino’s Pizza Helping to Spread the Word About Fire Safety

family eating pizza If you are a fan of Domino’s Pizza, you may have already noticed the newest addition to the company’s takeout pizza boxes – a flyer full of fire safety tips that reminds customers to check their smoke detectors’ batteries when they turn their clocks forward for daylight saving time this weekend.

The flyer was created in conjunction with the National Fire Protection Association and will run throughout the month of March to help spread the word to families throughout the US.

CHECK YOUR SMOKE DETECTORS

With 38 percent of home fire deaths occurring in homes without smoke detectors and another 21 percent occurring in homes with dead or malfunctioning ones, it is extremely important to take time to check your smoke detector regularly and change its batteries when they run low. This simple check takes less than a minute of your time and could end up saving your life and the lives of the ones you love.

DOMINO’S PIZZA TEAMS UP WITH NFPA

For more than eight years, Domino’s has been teaming up with the National Fire Protection Association to help prevent home fires, and this year we at Davis-Ulmer would like to add another item to your daylight savings to-do list. If you have not yet had your fire sprinkler maintenance performed this year, please take a few moments to schedule your annual sprinkler check-up.

Don’t have a sprinkler system installed in your home? Spring is the perfect time to plan an installation. To learn more about Davis-Ulmer’s services and to request a quote, visit us online or contact the location nearest you. We serve New York and the surrounding states.