Testing, testing...

NFPA Journal, Sep/Oct 2004 by Berkshire, Jennifer C

"That's how we make sure that the alarms are installed properly," says Stambush.

And residents who have working alarms in their homes will get a gentle reminder-in the form of a refrigerator magnet-to test their smoke alarms once a month and change the batteries once a year.

Stambush insists that it doesn't matter how fire departments get the message out during FPW. What matters is they and other first responders are visible in their cities and towns.

"We're true servants of the community, and public education programs are the best way to demonstrate that," he says. "It's absolutely key that people in your area understand what the local fire department is doing."

Minnesota: Get Alarmed on the Job

Visitors to www.iirepreventionweek.org will find everything they need to create and practice a successful home fire escape plan. But what about planning and preparing for a fire in the workplace? That's the question that Daniel Bernardy, Minnesota's deputy state fire marshal, will ask during FPW 2004.

"There are plenty of great activities that fire departments can do during FPW, and corporate fire drills are one of them," he notes.

The fire marshal's office is coordinating the corporate events throughout Minnesota during FPW, and Bernardy expects that nearly 20 businesses in the state will enlist the help of his fire safety team to stage workplace fire drills. Participants include major employers, such as Blue Gross Blue Shield, based in Eagan, and mom-and-pop shops that employ just a handful of workers. Regardless of the size of the employer, Bernardy's safety experts use a similar hands-on approach.

"We modify the presentation depending on the kind of business that's asking for help. Obviously a workplace with hundreds of employees in cubicles is going to require a different strategy than an ink company with a lot of hot chemicals on site," says Bernardy. "Once we assess their needs, then we put together a floor warden program with a fire warden and make sure that somebody is accountable if changes need to be made."

Employees aren't told of the fire drill in advance, and once the alarm sounds, they must leave the building as though it were a real emergency. That's when things get interesting, says Bernardy.

"Because the fire drills are spontaneous, it's pretty easy to tell where the problems are. Maybe the egresses aren't up to code, or they had a plan and assumed it would work and it doesn't. The drill gives them a chance to catch the errors," says Bernardy.

The corporate fire drills are just one of the FPW events Minnesota has planned. The fire marshal's office will also distribute 5,000 smoke alarms to any community that requests them. As for the state's 800 fire departments, they can choose from a whole list of FPW activities suggested in a quarterly newsletter that Bernardy edits.

"We give them information on how to conduct a great FPW activity," says Bernardy.

This year, whether they are installing free smoke alarms or conducting corporate fire drills, Minnesota Eurofighters will make sure the smoke alarm safety message is front and center.