The End of Daylight Saving Time is Here

The End of DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME is Here:

A Good Time to Focus on Fire Safety:
Update Fire Extinguishers, Check Batteries in Smoke Alarms

CLEVELAND, Ohio – On Sunday, November 4, most of the United States will turn their clocks back an hour to mark the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST). The Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (FEMA, The Life Safety Group) reminds everyone that when turning the clocks back it is also a good time to review some cyclical safety chores, such as inspection of the fire extinguishers in your home and office, and a check of the batteries in your smoke alarms.

“Portable fire extinguishers are proven to save lives and protect property when a fire strikes,” said Joe Beranek, President of FEMA. “Extinguishers give people an essential, defend-in-place tool to either extinguish a small fire before it becomes a tragedy, or to give them the help they need to get out of a burning building before it’s too late.”

In the home, FEMA recommends that fire extinguishers are installed in or near your kitchen and that you know how to use it. A multipurpose fire extinguisher should be located on each floor near an exterior door or in the exit path. Extinguishers located in the kitchen must be a type suitable for residential cooking fires. Remember that your first priority is to make sure everyone has evacuated safely and that you or someone else has called the fire department before attempting to fight the fire.

In the workplace, portable fire extinguishers are an integral part of any balanced fire protection plan and must be placed every 75 feet in a commercial structure, according to NFPA 1 Fire Prevention Code and NFPA 10 The Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers.

However, regardless of the place where the fire extinguisher is located, all fire extinguishers must be inspected and maintained regularly to ensure proper operation. The procedure can be as simple as reviewing the following questions:

Is the fire extinguisher visible and easily accessible?
Is the safety seal broken or missing?
Does the gauge or pressure indicator show the arrow pointing towards the green section indicating correct pressure?
Is there any obvious damage such as corrosion or leakage?
Are the operating instructions legible?

If you are unsure about the condition of your fire extinguisher, you should take it to an agency that can perform inspection and maintenance. These agencies can be located in your local phone directory.

There are numerous benefits to having portable fire extinguishers available in case of an emergency, including their proven effectiveness. This manual, easy –to-operate tool can extinguish a small and contained fire in those first critical minutes – when disaster strikes. For specific information on how to properly operate a fire extinguisher visit www.fireextinguisher.com.

About the Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association
The Fire Equipment Manufacturers’ Association is a more than 60-year-old non-profit trade association dedicated to saving lives and protecting property by providing education of a balanced fire protection design. For additional information, including videos, interactive questionnaires and training websites about fire safety and protection, visit www.femalifesafety.org or call 216-241-7333. For a complete listing of member companies, visit the Member Profiles page of the association’s website at Membership.

For More Information, Contact:
Coalesce, Inc. | 920-380-4444