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There is a reason that this year’s Fire Prevention Week’s theme is kitchen fires. More specifically, stove top cooking fires. They are and will continue to be a major fire problem for any of us who have residential properties in our FMAs. Like so many of our modern fire problems, this one isn’t modern at all. We’ve battled kitchen fires for years. But unlike most other long-term fire problems, this one is going to get worse, a lot worse, unless we come up with a new way of handling it.Why is that? Demographics, as a country we are getting older and poorer. These are two of the key components that represent the highest risk factors for these types of fires. Normally we use code changes and enforcement efforts to reduce a continuing fire problem. But that isn’t going to work with this one. Why is that? Because these fires are already happening in people’s homes or apartments where we don’t have jurisdiction.So like that pink bunny, these fires are going to go on, and on, and on, increasing the percentages of our losses and deaths in residential properties. Because of the nature and likely increasing frequency of these fires there is also the potential to significantly impact firefighter safety. Our crews will always go in faster and deeper on a house or apartment fire when there’s a chance that someone may be inside.So what do we do? Public education has really been our only option in the past. I am a huge supporter of public education; it’s been my job for the last 18 years. That said, I will be the first to admit that we need help with this one.Public education doesn’t have the same impact with all demographics. With these two particular groups, education tends to be less effective. One reason is that older adults are a more difficult audience to reach. They may also have cognitive issues that make instruction difficult, which is also one of the factors that make them a higher risk to begin with. Low-income families are also difficult to affect lasting changes with. There are a number of reasons for that, some of which are; sub-standard housing, less focus on safety because of external stressors, and in some cases literacy issues and high risk behaviors. As a result of this, even after you deliver a program or add a smoke alarm, you need to go back regularly to maintain and reinforce the message or you wind up right back where you started.What’s been needed for years is an engineering fix. That fix, because it’s going into a residential application, needs to be cost-effective, affordable, and practical. It also has to be fool proof, and relatively maintenance free. In simple terms, in order to work it has to perform consistently regardless of the inappropriate actions of others.One engineering change that’s being used is fire protection systems like sprinklers or hood and vent protection. I am a huge fan of sprinklers in fact I’m a zealot. However, because of the nature of cooking fires and the potential proximity to victim, in my opinion residential sprinklers will not react quickly enough because they are too remote from the fire. They certainly need to be there and will stop the fire quickly, but suppression systems alone will still allow the fire to spread beyond the immediate area of ignition.Because of that, it still allows for initial burn injuries, and gives the resident time to react with a potentially bad decision that could put them at further risk. With retrofitting sprinklers, there is also an initial cost factor. Even though they have become very affordable and available, I don’t think that there is anyone who would disagree that it’s going to be a while before we have wide spread use, particularly in already existing housing. We need a more immediate fix.We need something that will stop the fire before it starts, and now that technology exists, Safe-T-element, (STE). The Safe-T-Element is an upgrade for electric coiled stoves. STE is a cast iron plate that is attached to the top of each electric range burner. The STE then attaches to a sending board that mounts on the back of the stove. You simply plug the existing element, with the STE attached, back into the normal burner outlet. Once the retrofit is completed the temperature is regulated by means of the sending board and an attached thermocouple. On high, the original element will cycle on and off keeping the cast iron Safe-T-element at a constant temperature of 662 F. At this temperature, most cooking ingredients won’t ignite.The result is that you can put a pan of oil on this burner and leave it on high for 20 hours…and the oil will never ignite. On a normal electric element on at the same setting, oil will ignite in less than 8 minutes. You can literally put a piece of paper on these elements, put a pan of water on top it and turn it on high. Very quickly, the water will come to a boil…but the paper will never catch on fire.One issue that does come up is whether or not these burners can cook effectively at the lower temperature. They can, and do. Pioneering Technology Inc. based out of Toronto, Canada is the originator of this technology. They have done extensive testing on cooking efficiency. The only difference with the STE is that it takes slightly longer to heat up, but not significantly. Because they are solid cast iron, they also heat evenly across the entire cooking surface so they actually perform better.These units have been tested through both Canadian and US laboratories. My jurisdiction has had experience, in conjunction with Vancouver, WA. with installations of these burners in low income, disabled, and senior rehab projects for about a year. With cooking fires presenting such a large problem the documented saves showed up quickly, and they continue to do so. This is an engineering change that is going to allow us to build on success. Once the STE system is installed they are permanent, the more you install, the more impact you have on kitchen fires.Another benefit to installing the STE system is that you can leverage other bureaus or departments within your FMA. Low income and affordable senior housing is, and will continue to be, an ongoing issue. Partnerships with organizations within your jurisdictions that deal with these populations are all potential funding sources. It is in their best interests to do so. It protects existing housing and the substantial investments that they are making in their rehab programs.There is also a potential to capture energy money. The STE units, because they cycle the burner off to lower the heat, save a significant amount of energy. Energy efficiency is actually increased up to 79%.The last thing is the cost, it doesn’t matter how good the technology is if no one can afford it. A Safe-T-element system, to equip an entire stove, retails for $154.00 and in bulk, you can get substantial discounts. The installation is easy and the units come with detailed instructions. The company does recommend that you use a trained installer. If you are interested in putting together a project, Pioneering Technologies will come to you and provide installation training for your staff at no charge.I’ve been in this business for a long time. I’ve had my share of successes… and learning experiences. I have seen a lot of fixes come down the road, some practical, some less so. This one has me excited. I have not run into anybody in the business that doesn’t see the potential for this product immediately. I first saw the STE system a little over three years ago. I was amazed by it then and I still am.This is the year that we can take Fire Prevention Week and use it for a springboard to make a lasting and continuing positive impact for our most at-risk populations. We can make them safer and keep our seniors more independent. Plus, we can do something to help keep our firefighters a little safer in the process. It just makes sense, I’m not sure if this is a no-brainer or not, but it’s about as close as I’ve ever seen.
Article Source: http://www.content.onlypunjab.com
If you would like to get more information on “Safe-T-element” you can check out their website at; www.safetelement.com If you have questions feel free to send me an e-mail at ediment@fire.ci.portland.or.us
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