Fire Prevention

Oct. 4-10 is Fire Prevention Week in Burleson

“Stay Fire Smart – Don’t Get Burned” is the theme of Fire Prevention Week 2009. Mayor Ken Shetter presented the proclamation to City Fire Inspector/Investigator David Butler at the Sept. 21 Burleson City Council meeting. The proclamation designates the week of Oct. 4-10 as Fire Prevention Week in Burleson.

The Burleson Fire Marshal’s office and Burleson Fire Department work together to ensure the safety and security of everyone who lives in or visits the city. According to the proclamation, roughly 3,000 people die as a result of home fires and burns. More than 200,000 people are seen in the nation’s emergency rooms for burn injuries each year. Thermal burns outnumber scalds nearly two to one, but for children under the age of five, scalds outnumber burns two to one.

Read the entire news release.

Community Emergency Response Team

The Community Emergency Response Team program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. Cities across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and across the country are forming CERTs. When emergencies happen, these teams can give critical support to first responders, provide immediate assistance to victims, and organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site. CERT members can also help with non-emergency projects that help improve the safety of the community. Citizens are invited to participate in this effort.

The first CERT Training Class of 2005 held its graduation ceremony on April 5, 2005.

For more information about the CERT program, contact Stacy Singleton at 817-426-9174, or by email to ssingleton@burlesontx.com. A CERT application can be obtained at City Hall, or you may download the form which is available in PDF format.

Fire Marshal Stacy Singleton, Patches and Pumper, and Fire Inspector/Investigator David Butler

Practice your home
escape plan.

Local firefighters and the fire marshal aren’t just concerned about getting families out of their homes safely. They want to make sure the elderly and those who live in apartments know how to escape too.

“I encourage all the citizens of Burleson to have a home escape plan and to practice it often,” Fire Marshal Stacy Singleton said. “Practice your plan during the day and at night and keep your escape routes free of clutter.”

Children and adults need to learn how to get out of their homes safely. According to the NFPA, you may have to get out of your home within two minutes of the smoke alarm sounding.

If you live in an apartment building, review the evacuation plan. In the case of a fire, never use the elevator, use the stairs. If the stairwells are filled with smoke, stay in your apartment and wait for the firefighters. Close all the doors between you and the fire, then use duct tape or towels to create a seal around the door and over air vents to keep the smoke from entering. Let the firefighters know where you are by calling the fire department, then cracking a window and waving a flashlight or light colored-cloth.

And, get rid of clutter. Clutter makes it tricky to get out of a home when it is filled with smoke and it hampers firefighters who are trying to get in to extinguish the blaze.

THE FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTION PROGRAM

The City conducts an inspection program for several different reasons. (1) It is a method of reviewing occupancies for compliance to fire and life safety conditions. Structures are reviewed for the safety of the building's occupants as well as for the safety of firefighting personnel. (2) It allows firefighting personnel to pre-fire plan the property and develop tactics based on facts and given probabilities. (3) It allows for communication between the property owner/manger and emergency service personnel. It gives us the opportunity to understand your business operation, your needs and concerns, and conversely you will have an opportunity to understand ours and (4) it provides and opportunity to review the status of the in-house fire protection devices and notification system. This type of review is a method of monitoring the fire protection industry for compliance to state laws regarding installation and maintenance requirements. Our concern is to ensure that the business community is getting the right product or service value in their fire protection purchase.

THE TYPES OF FIRE PREVENTION INSPECTIONS

There are two (2) types of Fire Prevention Inspections:

The IN-SERVICE ENGINE COMPANY INSPECTION is performed by fire operations personnel and conducted within a given fire alarm district. This inspection is usually conducted on an annual basis for the purpose of pre-fire planning, reviewing permits for special operating hazards or functions and to conduct a general "walk around" safety inspection.

The TECHNICAL FIRE INSPECTION which is performed by the Fire Marshal's Office and involves a technical and more detailed review of fire and life safety conditions, fire protection systems and appliances and the issuance of applicable permits. A technical inspection is conducted by the fire Marshal's Office on all new building construction, alterations or addition, certificate of occupancy inspections, the issuance of fire permits, for the installation of fire sprinkler systems, fire alarm systems, mechanical hood or chemical agent systems, or large life safety target hazards such as schools, day care centers, nursing homes, churches, etc.

Fire Prevention Permit Application

Fire Prevention Registration Application

MOST FREQUENT VIOLATIONS FOUND

1. Address not posted.
2. Fire extinguishers not inspected or out of inspection.
3. Protection equipment out of inspection.
4. Inoperable exit lights.
5. Inoperable emergency lights.
6. Exits that are locked, blocked or inoperable.
7. Required exit pathways that are blocked.
8. Extension cords used as permanent wiring.
9. Storage in front of electrical panels.
10. Electrical panels that have missing breakers.
11. Illegal locking devices on exit doors.
12. Storage in mechanical areas with gas appliances.
13. Electrical light switches or outlets without covers.
14. Improper storage of gasoline, paints or other hazardous materials.
15. General housekeeping.

THE FIRE PERMIT PROGRAM

A Fire Permit constitutes permission to MAINTAIN, STORE, USE, or HANDLE materials, or to CONDUCT processes which produce conditions hazardous to life or property or to install equipment used in connection with such activities. Permits also constitute permission to contractors to install, erect, improve, remove, convert, repair, replace or demolish buildings, structures, systems, equipment or appliances.

For the fire service the use of permits serves two purposes. It provides a method of identification to certain activities, operations, practices or functions that have an interest to firefighting personnel and it ensures a review of plans and specifications for the installation of fire protection systems, equipment or appliances.

A list of Fire Code Permits and the annual fee schedule are available from the Fire Marshal's Office.

FIRE MARSHAL POLICY STATEMENTS

The fire code references other codes and standards as it specifies rules and regulations for a certain practice, function or use. Some of these rules and regulations reference STATE or FEDERAL LAWS or other nationally recognized standards or practices. The Fire Marshal may establish policy statements. The Fire Marshal Policy Statement is a method of placing these guidelines into one document for the business owner, installer or maintenance contractor. The policy statement outlines procedures to obtain a permit, highlights specific rules or regulations regarding installation or use and details the inspection procedures.

SMOKING REGULATIONS

Smoking regulations have a particular interest to some business owners or operators and are regulated in the following manner.

The Fire Marshal may designate "no smoking" areas based on certain practices, functions or uses where smoking or the use of smoking materials constitutes a fire or life safety hazard. In such cases notices must be posted and read as follows; "NO SMOKING BY ORDER OF THE FIRE MARSHAL."

THE RAPID ENTRY KEY BOX SYSTEM

The Burleson Fire Marshal's Office has selected the KNOX COMPANY as its supplier for our rapid entry key box program. The placement of the mini safe, (key box), pad lock or key switch allows fire department personnel access to a building or property without having to cause unnecessary damage or delay. The security of the system is highly guarded and monitored by Chief Fire Officials.

This could be a challenging wildfire season

According to the National Weather Service, December’s conditions are very similar to the dry and windy weather that created one of the worst wild land fire seasons in Texas history during the winter of 2005-2006.

As of Dec. 11, Johnson and Tarrant counties were considered “moderate” on a scale from “low” to “extreme” on the Texas Forest Service’s forecast fire danger map. Johnson and Tarrant counties are not part of the 99-county burn ban in Texas (check the City of Burleson web site at www.burlesontx.com for updates).

“The Burleson Fire Marshals Office will continue to monitor the situation and will be in contact with the Texas Forest Service as well as local county officials,” Burleson Fire Marshal Stacy Singleton said. “We are prepared to bring the city council an executive order which will prohibit outdoor burning within 5,000 feet of the corporate limits of the city.”

Singleton said area fire departments and fire marshals are preparing for the wild land fire season.

“We encourage all citizens to use common sense when burning and be very careful,” the fire marshal said. “We also remind the Burleson citizens that it is unlawful to burn in the city limits at any time unless you have a special permit.”

According to the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management, 90 percent of all Texas wildfires are caused by human activity. Save yourself, your neighbors and firefighters heartache by heeding these tips.

• Avoid burning trash.
• Don’t use fireworks during the holidays.
• If you smoke in your vehicle, extinguish cigarettes in the vehicle ashtray instead of tossing the cigarette out the window or putting the cigarette out on the ground.
• Be careful when pulling off a road or driving into a field because hot catalytic converters can ignite the grass.
• Keep a fire extinguisher and water handy when working outdoors with equipment, such as welding equipment, that gets hot.

Protect your house from wildfires.

• Choose fire resistant material (stone, brick, metal) and protective roofing.
• Cover all vents coming out of attics and the eaves with metal mesh screens to keep the sparks out.
• Install multi-pane windows, tempered safety glass or fireproof shutters to protect large windows from radiant heat.
• Use fire-resistant draperies.
• Have chimneys, wood stoves and home heating systems inspected and cleaned annually.
• Insulate chimneys.

For those who live near areas thick with brush, trees, or grass, take extra precautions.

• Keep your grass well watered and don’t let grass and weeds get higher than two inches.
• Remove anything (ladders, trellises) that would act as a path for fire to spread from the ground level to the roof.
• Avoid planting shrubs and trees that catch fire easily. This includes juniper, yaupon holly, pine, evergreen, eucalyptus, and fir trees. Instead, plant hardwoods, crepe myrtle, red yucca, forsythia, China rose, and Texas sage.
• Cut any tree limbs that come within 10 feet of the chimney or roof.
• Rake up leaves, dead limbs and other dead vegetation.
• Remove branches, twigs, and leaves from the roof and gutters.
• Prune limbs of trees and shrubs that are near the ground.
• Ask the power companies to clear branches away from power lines.
• Stack firewood at least 100 feet away and uphill from the house.
• And, store gasoline, oily rags and other flammable materials in approved safety containers.

If you are the victim of a wildfire, do not drive into dense smoke. Wildfires will spread rapidly and jump roads and waterways.

Monitor TV and radio broadcasts before you travel and while you are on the road. If you encounter dense smoke, turn on your emergency flashers, slow down and turn around.

For more information about fire danger and wildfire advisories, log on to the Texas Forest Service web site at http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu or the Governor’s Division Of Emergency Management web site at www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem.

For more information about local wildfire safety tips, call Burleson Fire Marshal Stacy Singleton at 817-426-9174.

Wildfire Preparedness Begins at Home
.....courtesy of the Texas Forest Service

“Homeowners have the power to greatly increase their homes’ chance of surviving a wildfire,” said Texas Forest Service Director Jim Hull. “What you plant, where you place your plants and how you maintain the landscaping can determine whether a wildfire reaches your home, and simple improvements on your home can significantly decrease its ignitability.”

Here are some tips to improve your home's chance of surviving a wildfire:

While doing spring gardening and yard work, do a quick survey of your property.

• Does wildfire have a direct path to your home? Create a break in the vegetation with a sidewalk, rock path, French drain, driveway or other non-flammable path to slow the spread of a wildfire.
• Are flammable plants creating a ladder to the eaves of the home?
• Do firefighters have enough room around your home (at least 30 feet) to safely protect it?
• Did you take time to remove leaves and needles from your roof and gutters?  

For more tips, log on to http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu or www.firewise.org.

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