Fire alarm
February 2013
Prevention 52 fire helmet
Take Action

1) Find out if your building has a fire alarm.  If it does, do you know if it works?  Ask your facility manager when the alarm was last tested.  No fire alarm? Now is always a good time to talk with your coworkers about how you are going to notify the rest of the building and the fire department if there is a fire.

 

2) Take it home - Make sure that you have working smoke detectors on every floor of your house and in every bedroom.

 

3) If your smoke alarms/detectors are covered in dust or cobwebs, clean them with a vacuum cleaner. 

 

NPS Fire Facts

 The NPS Structural Fire Branch conducts fire and life safety building inspections to determine compliance with fire codes, and we've noticed some trends: 

  • NPS buildings lack required inspection, testing and maintenance of fire suppression systems
  • Many battery operated smoke detectors have had the battery removed
  • Many NPS housing units do not have or have improperly installed smoke alarms  

Resources
The Structural Fire Program has many resources to help you provide an effective fire prevention program in your park.

 

Visit our website at:
  

Regional Structural Fire Staff:
 
Alaska - Alan Wetzel
Intermountain - Todd Neitzel
Midwest - Kip Schwabe
National Capital - Don Boucher
National Capital Fire Prevention Specialist - Raul Castillo
Northeast - Joe Mazzeo
Northeast Fire Prevention Specialist - Donna Baumgaertner
Pacific West - Curtis Troutt
Southeast - Jim King

For more fire prevention resources go to:
  

Submit ideas and feedback:
 
Sound the Alarm!
Author: Eric Anderson, Structural Fire Training Specialist

 

Smoke Alarms. Smoke Detectors. Fire Alarms. All of these are terms for devices and systems at work and home to alert you of a fire. Smoke alarms and smoke detectors are typically found in homes and sense smoke and activate with a piercing sound designed to wake you and your family up so you can get out of your house.  Fire alarms, typically found at work, are a system of devices such as smoke detectors and manual pull stations, output devices such as horns and strobe lights for the deaf, all connected to a control panel that can alert the fire department.

 

Success! What a working fire suppression system can really do. In October 2012, a fire broke out in a historic structure at Minuteman National Historic Park in Concord, MA. Occupants of the building, both employees and visitors, were alerted by a smoke detector and evacuated without injury, while the alarm system activated the local fire department and sprinkler system.  Thanks to proper design and maintenance, this fire emergency had a safe outcome.  

 

In housing units, people often disable smoke detectors by covering the detector,  removing the battery, or removing the detector because of too many false alarms. This often happens because smoke alarms are dirty with dust or cobwebs, or because they are placed too close to cooking smoke or shower steam.


These systems are the first line of defense for our buildings and their contents.  Properly installing, testing and maintaining fire and smoke alarms will ensure that occupants are notified of a fire.
                                                     
Just for You 
  
Employees

See a video on smoke alarms.

Deaf or hard of hearing?  Read this.

Have children? Watch this video.(May open as a download)   

 

Park Leadership

Superintendents: Did you know data collected through fire and life safety building inspections in NPS buildings show that over 12% of our buildings where people sleep have no smoke detection?  Read this recent memo from the Deputy Director addressing this issue and the immediate corrective actions. 

Facility Managers: Utilize these Job Plans for fire protection system maintenance.

 

Regional/National Leadership

Did you know that 41 CFR 102-80.90 is the law for all federal agencies on safety and fire prevention?  Read about your responsibilities here.

 

 

  

Prevention 52 begins with you!

Prevention 52 intends to educate and empower all NPS employees to help prevent structural fires.

Prevention 52 provides you with relevant fire prevention messages every week of the year - 52 to be exact.

You have the opportunity every week to make a difference. Don't let historic ashes become your legacy.
National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

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