Far too many people underestimate the dangers of a fire, but there is no denying the fact that fires are hugely frightening things. In fact, fires can lead to a great deal of damage to people and property alone – and can even, in the most tragic of circumstances but more easily than one might think – result in the loss of life. This can be seen in the data that has been gathered on the subject, particularly in places where fires are prone to breaking out.
Hotel and motel sites, for instance, experience rates of fires higher than many other establishments throughout the country. In fact, such fires lead to as many as 15 deaths over the course of just one year. Unfortunately, as many as 150 injuries are also sustained. And while the people who fall into the latter category have not lost their lives, burn injuries are incredibly agonizing, and can be difficult to live with and take a very long time to fully recover from.
And in addition to the toll that hotel and motel fires take on human life, the property damage from such fires is also quite immense. In fact, these fires alone cause as much as $76 million worth of property loss over the course of a mere 12 months. And these types of fires are far from the only type of fires common throughout the country.
Medical facility fires are also far too common for comfort, especially when you consider the fact that many people in these medical facilities will not be able to easily evacuate themselves. Confined cooking fires are a big cause of various medical facility fires, and actually cause up to 55% of all fires seen in such locations throughout the country. In addition to this, very nearly 19% of all fires in medical facilities break out due to faulty electrical systems and various problems with the wiring in the building. Such fires, especially in such facilities as these, can quickly turn dangerous and deadly over the course of a very short period of time.
Fortunately, there are a number of steps that every building can take to reduce the risk that fires pose to all who inhabit it. For one thing, the installation of sprinkler systems is a must. Current fire sprinkler system design helps to stop a fire in its tracks, far before it can become dangerous and difficult to control. And the use of fire sprinklers has greatly improved the survival rate of any given fire in which fire sprinkler service were present.
However, the care and keeping of such systems is a must. Fire sprinkler repair might become necessary at some point, and it is important that this fire sprinkler repair be conducted in a timely manner. In addition to this, fire sprinkler repair can even sometimes be avoided through the use of regular inspection. Regular fire sprinkler inspection can help to catch any small problems that have developed far before more extensive – and expensive – fire sprinkler repair ever becomes necessary in the first place. However, paying the cost of any fire sprinkler repair services is more than worth it at the end of the day, and prompt fire sprinkler repair will be critical to ensure the overall safety of everyone who uses the building in question in which this fire sprinkler repair was necessary.
Of course, other measures should also always be taken to ensure safety in the face of a fire. In addition to fire sprinkler inspection and sprinkler repair, should it ever become necessary, a thoroughly planned out evacuation plan is also hugely important indeed. For many people, an evacuation plan can actually mean the difference between life and death, or at least severe injury and continued health. Evacuation plans are especially important for medical facilities where not everyone is able to evacuate themselves without the assistance of staff members who work in the facility. Having an evacuation plan in place can help the evacuation process go as smoothly as possible in the event that a fire emergency would ever break out. It is hoped that such a plan will not be needed, but always important to have one just in case.