Preventing School Fires

U.S. fire departments responded to an estimated average of 3,570 structure fires in educational properties annually from 2009-2013. According to the U.S Fire Administration, there is a linear increase in the number of fires incidents per year. There were 1,240,000 reported fire incidents in 2013 whereas in 2015, 1,345,500 fires were reported.

There is also a significant increase in the number of fatalities resulting from these fires. The count has increased from 2,855 fatalities in 2012 to 3,280 in 2015. The property damage on top of it not only causes economic turmoil, it also leaves students without a school during repairs. Yearly schools suffer an average of $62 million in direct property damage.

Fire accidents are really dangerous as they cause both loss of property as well as lives. They are exponentially more dangerous when they happen in educational premises such as schools, colleges or universities. A school is full of young kids who have very little experience in life much less how to handle an emergency situation such as a fire. With most states only requiring 2 or 3 fire drills a year, most kids aren't prepared for the emergency. Dealing with fires can be tricky, but the easiest and a very essential element is to use a portable fire extinguisher.

Most school fires start off small and can be dealt with by a staff member. Oftentimes, not having an operating fire extinguisher or relying on the integrated fire system leads to chaos, injuries and high amounts of damage. Not only should fire extinguishers be in operating condition, the right type of fire extinguisher should be located at the right correct locations. Portable fire extinguishers effectively extinguish nearly 95 percent of all reported fires – making them an absolute necessity for school, colleges, universities and other educational premises. Not only do schools require fire extinguishers, all staff is also required to know how to operate a fire extinguisher.

If you have more questions or want more information, please don’t hesitate to call our team at (214)256-5699.