Alma Michigan Kindergarten kids learned all about cooking safety according to the Morning Sun during Fire Prevention Week. According to the Sun, “Volunteer firefighters spread the word that more fires start in the kitchen than in any other part of the home and teaching the students how to keep cooking fires from starting in the first place. The volunteer firefighters visited four schools and talked to approximately 725 elementary students.”
To read the whole article, click here.
GuardianSSI Exhibiting at OAFED Conference
Dallas – October 23, 2013 – Guardian Safety Solutions International Inc. (GSSI), the leader in the development and manufacturing of residential range top fire protection systems, is exhibiting at the Oklahoma Association of Fire Equipment Dealers, Inc. (OAFED) Conference, October 25 – 26, at Will Rogers Park, Oklahoma City, OK. OAFED’s guiding mission is to improve standards and ensure professionalism.
“We are delighted to demonstrate our ‘Guardian Solution’ range top suppression system at NAFED,” said Paul Rouse, GSSI’s administrative officer. “This is extremely important as there are 34,000 kitchen fires each day causing more than $7 billion in damage every year.” He added that more than 12 million unintentional home cooking fires go unreported causing 640,000 injuries annually.
GSSI manufactures the Guardian III Model G300B, UL and ULC listed with a fuel shut-off. “The Guardian is designed to detect and extinguish cooking fires and prevent re-ignition in private homes, apartments, senior housing, college campuses, hospitals and other facilities. Even older kitchens can be retrofitted as well,” Rouse said. (See how the Guardian works here http://bit.ly/WF5Nas).
Once it detects heat at a pre-determined temperature, the Guardian sends a signal to release an extinguishing agent that suppresses the fire. The Guardian will also shut off the gas or electric supply to the stove in order to prevent reigniting. The design of the system offers:
· automatic operation
· continuous 24-hour protection
· concealed installation
· easy clean-up
· proven reliability
About GSSI
Protecting families worldwide since 1985, Guardian Safety Solutions International Inc. is the recognized leader in the development and manufacturing of residentialrange top fire protection systems. GSSI’s mission is to develop and distribute quality safety products that provide customers with peace of mind, while protecting lives and property.
Paul Rouse, Administrative Officer/Sales & Operations Director for Guardian Safety Solutions International, Inc. and fire suppression educator and expert, joined eHealth Radio and the Safety Channel for an interview about Fire Prevention Week. You can hear the whole podcast here and learn more. Some important items were discussed, including:
News from FOX44 – Temple, Texas…
A Monday evening cooking fire has left a family of four homeless. Temple Fire & Rescue responded the fire Monday, in the 2400 Block of Valley Forge Avenue. The first Engine Company arrived to find moderate smoke coming from a downstairs apartment of a four unit apartment complex. Firefighters confirmed everyone was out of the apartment as they began an interior attack. Due to the potential for fire spreading to the other three apartment units and as a precaution, the incident commander requested a second alarm assignment sending two additional Engine companies and one Rescue Company on the call.
Fire investigation determined the fire was unintentional and started from unattended cooking. One of the adults cooking became distracted and forgot to turn off the stove prior to leaving the apartment. The kitchen sustained heavy fire damage with the living room, bedrooms and bathroom receiving smoke and heat damage. A dollar loss has not been calculated. The apartment was protected by working smoke alarms. There were no injuries. The American Red Cross is working with the two adults and two children to assist with their immediate needs
“The number one cause of fires in Springfield is unattended cooking,” said Dennis Leger, aide to Commissioner Joseph Conant in Springfield, MA this week. According to a MassLive.com article, a cooking fire caused some $15,000 in damage to a home when shortly before 3 a.m., a resident dropped frozen French fries into a hot pan of oil on the stove. Moisture in the French fries caused the oil to froth and spill over onto the burner, igniting the blaze. Sadly two women, one aged 65 and one 34, lost their lives recently in the same area because of cooking related fires. In addition to having a fire extinguisher and knowing how to use it, a range top suppression system like ours at GSSI would save lives and property from cooking fires. To learn more, follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GuardianSSI.
WDEL-AM Delaware reports that the Office of the State Fire Marshal said that an apartment building fire that caused dozens to be displaced started in a third-floor kitchen. Officials say cooking materials on the stove top ignited, burning one man severely and causing $1 million in damages.
This is one of many fires each year and is why we observe Fire Prevention Week from October 6-12 joining forces with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to teach everyone how to prevent kitchen fires.
Guardian SSI will be spreading the word about the dangers of kitchen fires most of which result from unattended cooking. NFPA reports cooking is the leading cause of home fires and home fire-related injuries.
You can prevent cooking fires by:
More information will be coming as we get closer to Fire Prevention Week.
Even the rich and famous are not protected from cooking fires. Ozzy Osbourne reportedly started a house fire earlier this week when he tried to make a bacon sandwich as a midnight snack. He tried to burn down his house according to his wife Sharon Osbourne in a tweet. “I’m in London, @OfficialOzzy is in LA making a bacon sandwich last night and the fire brigade ended up at our house!!”
This isn’t the first time the Black Sabbath frontman’s house needed the fire department’s help. Sharon also tried to burn the house down in the past with candles, and the fire department showed up then as well. Lesson #1: When you are cooking, stay in the kitchen until your meal is ready!
A 65 year old woman sadly lost her life this week in Springfield, MA because of a cooking fire. The woman’s daughter and a family pet were able to escape, but a neighbor who tried to rescue the woman was unsuccessful. It was reported that two pans of food had been left unattended on a stove in the kitchen. It’s the most common cause of fires in Springfield. A local representative said that, “If anybody is cooking with oil or grease they should stay and watch what they are cooking.” More information about the fire can be found here http://bit.ly/17NuzcX.
The Albany Fire Department has some wise advice for those of you who love to cook..pay close attention and think before you cook. This year alone, the Department had 124 structure fires – 56 were kitchen fires.
According to “I’ll Miss You Too: An Off-to-College Guide for Parents and Students,” some of the biggest parental fears surrounding sending kids off to college focus on safety issues. While safety is a top priority, fear of kitchen fires probably ranks well below safety concerns about drugs, alcohol, crime and other campus issues. According to Guardian Safety Solutions International (www.guardianssi.com), college fires should move up to the top of parents and university housing concerns since 72 percent of college campus fires are cooking related. Cooking fires also cause more than $25 million in damages to college campuses each year. Read more at HealthNewsDigest http://www.healthnewsdigest.com/news/Safety_310/Cooking-Can-Be-Hazardous-to-College-Life.shtml.
