Fire Safety

So after years and years of educational efforts, public service announcements and the distribution of free smoke alarms with installation to anyone who wants one, the brains at Johns Hopkins conclude that the reason people are perishing in home fires is because, as their research shows, in more than half of the alarms in the homes that have smoke alarms, they were not functional ( "Baltimore's fire safety programs need support," Readers respond,...

In a city of aging, closely built rowhouses, where officials estimate smoke detectors are sufficiently installed in only about half, knowledge of fires is prevalent, even among the youngest of residents. Ask a group of elementary and middle schoolers in Baltimore to raise a hand if they know someone who has survived a fire, or have seen the devastation fires can cause, and most will put a hand in the air, says Linnea Anderson, an American Red Cross representative on a recent afternoon visit to the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Several of Harford County's volunteer fire companies will have their doors open wider than usual this weekend to welcome anyone who is interested to stop by for a visit, check out the equipment and maybe even learn something about fire safety. October is Fire Safety Month, and this past weekend the Level Volunteer Fire Company kicked off the public safety open house season in style. The event featured a demonstration on how to put out a vehicle fire, featuring a real burning vehicle, not to mention some more tame hands on activities for children.

As Halloween approaches, you might be more concerned about your child's costume than safety, but the season does bring up some important issues to keep in mind. Here are some Halloween fire safety tips from the Maryland State Fire Marshal: •    Pick costumes that are bright and reflective.  Make sure costumes are short enough to prevent tripping and ensure masks don't block vision. •    Consider adding reflective tape to costumes and trick-or-treat bags for greater visibility.

The Northeast Baltimore fire that left five people dead Thursday morning underscores the danger of fires in homes without working smoke detectors in a city full of aging, closely built rowhouses, many of which are vacant, fire officials and local academics said. A recent study of 600 homes in East Baltimore showed about 60 percent lacked working smoke detectors on every level. Additionally, one in three households misreported coverage - most often by reporting they had working detectors when they did not, said the study's author, Wendy Shields, an assistant researcher at the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Injury Research and Policy.

Jacob Rand learned about fire safety from a program sponsored by the Howard County Department of Fire and Rescue, which tells children that in the event of a house fire don't look for its source — just get out. The Fulton Elementary School third-grader didn't know that someday he would utter that directive. But on Aug. 25, he smelled smoke in his Fulton home and was the only family member who heard the fire alarm, because his siblings were asleep, his father had left the house and his mother, Vicki, was in the shower.

In a city of aging, closely built rowhouses, where officials estimate smoke detectors are sufficiently installed in only about half, knowledge of fires is prevalent, even among the youngest of residents. Ask a group of elementary and middle schoolers in Baltimore to raise a hand if they know someone who has survived a fire, or have seen the devastation fires can cause, and most will put a hand in the air, says Linnea Anderson, an American Red Cross representative on a recent afternoon visit to the Baltimore School for the Arts.

Stop," "drop" and "roll." They're just three simple words, but if used at the right moment, they can be lifesavers. It's important for every member of a family to know how to get out of a fire alive. That's why Barnes & Noble in Towson is inviting kids and parents to a presentation about fire safety on Monday at 10 a.m. The first lesson will come from books, including Clifford the Firehouse Dog, Firefighters and Firefighter Frank. After story time, volunteer firefighters Jen and Danny Coolhan will give an interactive lesson in fire safety.

Robert Downing Baron, an internationally known maritime cargo-handling and fire safety expert who was also a longtime volunteer firefighter, died of non-Hodgkins lymphoma Thursday at Gilchrist Center for Hospice Care. He was 56. "His expertise ran the gamut of safety training for longshoremen in hazardous cargo handling, in safe equipment operation, in general industry safety standards, to participation in the work of national safety associations," said William F. Detweiler, regional director of the U.S. Maritime Alliance Ltd. Mr. Baron was born and raised in Augusta, Maine, where he graduated from high school.

Fallston Middle students are scheduled to start school tomorrow, two weeks late.The school, at Route 152 and Carrs Mill Road, failed a critical fire safety inspection Aug. 23 and was not finished by the Aug. 30 school opening date. That inspection, by a state fire marshal, found seven fire safety violations. Most were due to incomplete construction.Allen L. Ward, deputy chief fire marshal, said his office was satisfied with tests made late last week of the sprinkler system, fire alarm system and emergency generators that provide lighting and power during a fire.

Several of Harford County's volunteer fire companies will have their doors open wider than usual this weekend to welcome anyone who is interested to stop by for a visit, check out the equipment and maybe even learn something about fire safety. October is Fire Safety Month, and this past weekend the Level Volunteer Fire Company kicked off the public safety open house season in style. The event featured a demonstration on how to put out a vehicle fire, featuring a real burning vehicle, not to mention some more tame hands on activities for children.

The Northeast Baltimore fire that left five people dead Thursday morning underscores the danger of fires in homes without working smoke detectors in a city full of aging, closely built rowhouses, many of which are vacant, fire officials and local academics said. A recent study of 600 homes in East Baltimore showed about 60 percent lacked working smoke detectors on every level. Additionally, one in three households misreported coverage - most often by reporting they had working detectors when they did not, said the study's author, Wendy Shields, an assistant researcher at the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Injury Research and Policy.

The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department membership, Chief Travis Pearcy, President Vic Whipple Fire Prevention Committee members invite the public to the department's annual Fire Prevention Week Open House on Sunday, Oct. 14 from noon to 4 p.m. at Laurel Volunteer Fire Department, 7411 Cherry Lane. This year's theme, Have 2 Ways Out!, focuses on the importance of fire escape planning and practice. The open house includes safety demonstrations, apparatus and equipment displays and tours of the fire station.

The Bel Air Knights of Columbus recognized four individuals who serve the community in law enforcement, fire safety, primary and secondary Catholic education at a dinner March 20.

Vadym Buyalsky was a lead scientist at the Ukrainian Research and Development Institute of Fire Protection & Defense when an explosion destroyed a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl in 1986 and released massive amounts of radioactive material. In the aftermath of the nuclear disaster, Buyalsky took part in the difficult cleanup, washing off the radioactive particles from nearby units and the surrounding environment. He also helped assess long-term safety issues, including preparing fire protection and suppression systems for the shelter built over the destroyed reactor to contain the radiation.

So after years and years of educational efforts, public service announcements and the distribution of free smoke alarms with installation to anyone who wants one, the brains at Johns Hopkins conclude that the reason people are perishing in home fires is because, as their research shows, in more than half of the alarms in the homes that have smoke alarms, they were not functional ( "Baltimore's fire safety programs need support," Readers respond,...

The three-alarm fire that ruined a three-story home that was Annapolis' first synagogue caused $150,000 to $200,000 in damage, city fire officials said yesterday.Fire investigators have not determined the cause of the fire Monday night, but a tenant in the building thinks it might have been started by a candle on the second floor.Yesterday, historic preservationists said the fire places more emphasis on work being done by the recently appointed city Commission to Study Fire Safety, which will meet today at the Taylor Avenue fire station.

About one month after a five-alarm fire destroyed a historic building on Main Street, the Annapolis city council voted last night to create a commission to study fire safety standards in historic homes and commercial buildings.The resolution was proposed after the Dec. 9 blaze alerted city officials to the lack of fire safety devices and alarms in most historic buildings.The 11-member commission, approved unanimously, will study federal, state and city codes and regulations with an eye toward drafting legislation to make improvements.

Thank you to The Baltimore Sun for continued coverage of the fatal fire in East Baltimore which claimed the lives of three generations of one family earlier this month ( "Six fire victims remembered at mournful funeral service," Dec. 22). The reporting has brought a much-needed human face to the devastating impact of fires in our community. According to the state's "Injuries in Maryland — 2008 Statistics," burns from fires are responsible for more than 1,200 emergency department visits in Baltimore each year, and roughly 30 percent of these visits are for children under the age of 15. According to media reports, it's not clear whether the home had working smoke alarms.

At the foot of the altar in the cavernous church, six coffins — three of them child-sized and all but one white — lay in a semicircle, surrounded by a forest of flowers. Photographs of the dead sat atop each casket, along with balloons and stuffed toys. Hundreds of mourners packed the pews Wednesday, seeking solace in song and prayer as they remembered six members of a family who perished when their house burst into flames on a frigid night last week. Sobs pierced the hymns and chants.