Spotting flames or smoke in your home—a space that should be a sanctuary—can trigger panic and immobilize even the calmest individuals but smoke alarms can alert you to a problem at the first hint of danger.
During this nightmarish situation, it can be hard to think clearly. Thousands of people die each year in the United States due to trying to save their possessions or put out the fire themselves to save their homes instead of evacuating.
For that very reason, it is crucial to know how to improve your reaction times and have the proper safety equipment installed in your home to alert you of any dangers. In honor of Fire Safety Awareness Month, the Key West Fire Department accepted recent donations of smoke alarms from the Opal Key Resort, which will later be distributed for free to community members, according to local media. These detectors will be available at the Central Fire Station No. 1 at 1600 North Roosevelt Blvd.
But why are these smoke alarms and detectors needed?
Data
On average, there are over 300,000 structure fires that take place in the United States each year, causing $8 billion in damages, according to the National Fire Protection Association. The most common cause of a house fire in the U.S. is cooking, especially unattended cooking. Almost three of every five house fire deaths are in homes without working smoke alarms.
And these alarms don’t just protect families from a fire risk. These alarms are also equipped to alert homeowners if there has been a carbon monoxide leak. The colorless, odorless can be impossible to detect by a person until it is too late. The gas binds to the hemoglobin in the blood and inhibits its ability to carry oxygen throughout the body. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include dizziness, nausea, confusion, and lethargy.
The latest available data from the U.S. Fire Administration shows that 67.1% of fire casualties resulted from structure fires in Florida. In 2022, the national average was 6.1 deaths and 19.8 injuries per 1,000 residential structure fires.
Leesfield & Partners
Leesfield & Partners’ Founder and Managing Partner, Ira Leesfield, is a staunch supporter of public safety efforts, regularly partnering with organizations with this goal in mind. Over the years, Leesfield & Partners has become one of the country’s leading carbon monoxide law firms, historically contributing to the establishment of statewide carbon monoxide protections.
Mr. Leesfield played a key role in the passing of this law, which defines requirements for carbon monoxide detectors. The law states that any new build or addition built after July 1, 2008, must have at least one carbon monoxide detector installed within 10 feet of every sleeping room. These detectors can be hard-wired or battery-powered alarms or a hard-wired or battery-powered combination of carbon monoxide and smoke alarms.
Carbon monoxide detectors can save thousands of lives each year. In data from the Centers for Disease Control, it is estimated that about 400 Americans die every year due to accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and 20,000 are reported to be taken to hospitals all over the country for treatment of exposure to the dangerous gas.
In over four decades, the firm has represented injured clients and grieving families in all areas of personal injury practice including injuries from carbon monoxide poisoning and from fires.
A couple vacationing in a foreign country sought the legal services of attorneys at the firm after they were exposed to carbon monoxide at their accommodation. Attorneys with the firm secured an eight-figure settlement for the couple.
A family on vacation in Key West was exposed to carbon monoxide from a damaged boiler room roof vent that brought the gas into their room. They were able to call for emergency services before passing out from the gas. The hotel later rented out that same room to a father and son who had a similar experience. The case got nationwide attention.
Students in campus housing were exposed to carbon monoxide while they slept from a broken furnace exhaust pipe allowing the gas to build up inside the home. The firm reached a confidential settlement in that case for the students.
Another case where clients were exposed to a toxic gas other than carbon monoxide involves that of several firefighters who breathed in toxic fumes for hours while in the line of duty helping road workers.
A family whose home caught fire from a damaged television set resulted in the devastating loss of their 13-year-old daughter. The girl’s father, who tried to save her from the flames, was horrifically injured in the incident and suffered burns to over 30% of his body.
Leesfield & Partners secured $2.95 million for the family in that case.
Safety Tips
- Install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home
- Check your alarms regularly to make sure they are in good, working order.
- Keep your door closed when sleeping to deprive the flames of oxygen and to keep you from breathing in the full force of the smoke from the fire.
- If you can’t exit through a window and need to use the door, always check the temperature by placing your hand on it first. This will help you assess how far the fire has spread before opening the door, as doing so could introduce more oxygen and intensify the flames.
- Develop a fire safety plan and discuss it with your children so that they know what to do if a fire breaks out at your home.
- Every family member should know at least two unobstructed entries and exits from the home including exterior doors and windows. This plan should be practiced at least twice a year.
- Decide on a meeting place that everyone in the family knows about so that, if there is a fire, you know where everyone will be.
- Keep a fire extinguisher in places like your kitchen and garage.
- Stop, drop, and roll: If your clothes catch fire, do not panic and run. Stop where you are, drop to the ground and cover your face with your hands to begin rolling over and over to smother the flames.
- Smoke and hot air rise. If you’re ever in an emergency fire situation it may be best to crawl out to avoid breathing in the smoke. Keep your head 12 to 14 inches from the floor and crawl to the nearest exit.
- If you are ever in a fire emergency, get out and stay out of the house. Never go back inside for personal items or to try and save your home. Call for help immediately and stay back from the flames while you wait for first responders.