Vicksburg-Warren School District Superintendent Price estimated the district has spent $25,000 to $30,000 on vandalism-related repairs and cleanup this year. "Those dollars have to come out of the general fund," Price said. No money is set aside for potential vandalism incidents and those costs are not covered by insurance, he said. As a result, Vicksburg-Warren School District officials are stepping up security and police are increasing patrols. Read More
We run across these stories ALL the time. Fire extinguishers are the first response against indoor fires. Properly functioning fire extinguishers can put out the majority of early stage fires. In order to protect the lives of those who you are responsible for it is important to ensure that your fire extinguishers are working properly. Here are 10 recent incidents in which fire extinguishers were stolen or vandalized leaving a building at risk in the case of Dickenson High or and in extreme cases like the motel fire in Hoover Alabama, resulted in loss of life.
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/06/08/extinguishers-stolen-high-school-again
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2009/11/17/fire-extinguisher-and-related-vandalism-costs-mississippi-school-district-30000
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/03/08/vandals-set-extinguisher-fl-elementary-school
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2009/12/17/extinguisher-vandalism-results-6000-fine-drew-university
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/05/24/miami-students-cause-10k-extinguisher-vandalism-damage
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/03/23/extinguisher-used-possible-bomb-boise
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/02/12/boston-city-and-ma-state-buildings-not-following-codes
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/01/31/tragic-hotel-fire-leads-four-student-deaths-nearby-extinguisher-was-operable
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2010/01/31/cayce-sc-high-school-sustains-75000-damage-vandalism
- http://www.engaugeinc.net/blog/2009/12/17/i-only-wanted-make-it-snow-0
Stories like these are testament to the fact that in this day and age, there is no excuse for not monitoring fire extinguishers. A thirty-day checkup is simply not good enough, especially when we have the option to monitor extinguisher’s 24 hours a day.
Fire Extinguishers are the first line of defense when a fire incident occurs. For the extinuisher to do its job, it must be available, accessible and function properly - all things the en-Gauge electronic fire extinuisher monitoring solution insures.
With that said, we love to read stories about Fire Exinguishers doing their job and putting out fires or helping people control fires until help arrives or they can evacuate.
Here is a list of Fire Extinguisher Success Stories from the last few days:
In Springfield, MA an employee at Smith and Wesson quickly put out a fire at one of the gun manufacturers buildings. According to the article by Channel 22 News at WWLP.com:
Captain Mike Richard of the Springfield Fire Department told 22News that the employee used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire, which started at Smith & Wesson Building R around 6:00 A.M. ...
Richard says the employee’s action saved the building. He also said that the employee had received training on the use of the extinguisher, which is very important.
Great story, made better by the fact that the employee was part of the S&W emergency response team and had been trained in the proper use of Fire Extinguishers.
On Veteran's Day, an assistant High School Principal - a veteran himself - extinguished a fire with a fire extinguisher at Whitemarsh High School in Pennsylvania. According to The Times Herald:
Assistant Principal Dan Balek, a veteran, was on hand to save the day at Plymouth Whitemarsh High School (PWHS) after part of the east wing faculty kitchen area caught fire Thursday afternoon.
While the cause of the fire remains unclear, school spokesman Dave Sherman said Balek happened to be in the area at the time.
"The school was evacuated briefly and (Balek) used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire before the fire department arrived," said Sherman.
It is common to hear about fires put out prior to the fire department arriving. This emphasizes the importance of consistent monitoring of the fire extinguishers to be confident that they are available and ready to work.
A small fire on the Orange Line in the Downtown Crossing MBTA Station in Boston caused disruption of service and the evacuation of the station, but no injuries were reported. According to Boston.com:
A small fire in the Downtown Crossing MBTA station Saturday night disrupted subway service, but caused no reported injuries, Boston Fire Department spokesman Steve MacDonald said.
Officials evacuated the station as a precaution after the fire, which occurred about 10 p.m., MacDonald said. The flame started around the wheel of a Orange Line train, and firefighters quickly put it out with a fire extinguisher before it could make a lot of smoke, MacDonald said.
Intentionally Set School Fire in Washington State Supressed with Fire Extinguisher
A fire intentionally set in the 3rd floor girls bathroom at Kitsap High School in Kitsap, Washington was identified and extinguished by school officials after smoke was reported. According to the Central Kipsap Reporter: 
School officials were alerted to the fire and used a fire extinguisher to snuff out the small blaze, according to a statement from the fire department. No one was injured.
Estimates put the damage at about $2,000.
District spokesman David Beil said about 1,200 students were temporarily evacuated.
According to a student at the school who commented on the article:
omg me and my bros and my friendsgo to this schoolitwas so creepy!! there was smoke everywhere!!
We love this comment and think that the english teachers at the school probably will too.
According to the Kitsap Sun - yup, the same Kitsap - a fire at a manufacturing plant on Bainbridge Island experienced an electric fire:
Employees at the rod-and-reel plant noticed sparks and a flame coming from the wall socket about 8:30 p.m., according to a report from Bainbridge Island Fire Department. An alert employee grabbed a fire extinguisher and put out the blaze.
As a precaution, the building was evacuated.
When firefighters arrived, they checked the outlet and surrounding wall with a thermal imaging camera and found no lingering heat. Employees were allowed to go home, and maintenance staffers took over repairs.
This is a perfect example of why you call the Fire Department, even if you think you have fought the blaze successfully. Fires that may look like they have been extinguished can smolder for hours and come back to life later. The Fire Department knows what to look for and should always be contacted in any fire emergency.
Remember, make sure you perform your yearly fire extinguisher inspections and to ensure that your extinguishers are available, accessable and ready to use 24 X 7, 365, rely upon en-Gauge. The only electronically monitored fire extinguisher solution. Contact Us today to Learn More
Reading the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment is a positive ex
perience. As one colleague said to me, “I felt hopeful after reading it that so many smart people are throwing the weight of their institutions behind finding the answers to climate change.” I couldn’t agree more.
In their commitment, they lay out their mission:
We believe colleges and universities must exercise leadership in their communities and throughout society by modeling ways to minimize global warming emissions, and by providing the knowledge and the educated graduates to achieve climate neutrality. Campuses that address the climate challenge by reducing global warming emissions and by integrating sustainability into their curriculum will better serve their students and meet their social mandate to help create a thriving, ethical and civil society. These colleges and universities will be providing students with the knowledge and skills needed to address the critical, systemic challenges faced by the world in this new century and enable them to benefit from the economic opportunities that will arise as a result of solutions they develop.
They also commit their institutions to taking key steps and reaching targeted milestones in pursuit of achieving climate neutrality “as quickly as possible”. One of the most effective ways for the schools to reduce emissions is by committing to ‘green’ building programs, like LEED, for new construction projects and retrofits.
While we vigorously applaud these efforts, the fact is that the carbon emissions generated by just one major fire event can eliminate all of the carbon mitigation benefits accrued via those green building projects. FM Global calculates that fire and risk of fire increases the carbon emissions of buildings by 3% over their lifetime. With this in mind, it is vital to take aggressive steps to minimize fire risk when implementing any carbon reduction plan.
I encourage you to read The Environmental Impact of Electronically Monitored Fire Extinguishers. This White Paper reviews the greenhouse gas impacts of fire as well as the critical carbon mitigating effects of fire extinguishers and in particular electronically monitored extinguishers. Some of the key findings from the report include:
- Fast and early fire suppression with fire extinguishers is the most environmentally-friendly way (carbon emitted, water use, water pollution, additional pollution) to extinguish fire
- Empty and missing fire extinguishers have been a contributing factor to large conflagrations likely contributing thousands of tons of CO2 to the atmosphere annually
- Manual inspections of fire extinguishers are a contributing factor in greenhouse gas emissions
- Electronic monitoring of fire extinguishers can be highly beneficial in reducing carbon emissions, lowering water consumption and minimizing toxic material release
Download this free white paper and learn about the most effective way to ensure your Climate Commitement isn’t put at risk by unneccesary fires.
Vandals continue to do thousands of dollars of damage and interrupt business and community activities by carelessly using fire extinguishers in acts of vandalism. We continue to be amazed a how many articles come across our desk describing the damage and disruption caused by these acts of fire extinguisher vandalism. Here are just a handful of the examples from the last few weeks.
Michigan Church Close For Over A Week Due to Fire Extinguisher Vandalism
The Eureka Christian Church in Clinton County Michigan was extensively vandalized by intruders that took delight in having a fire extinguisher fight with multiple dry chemical fire extinguishers. According to WILX.com:
Volunteers showed up at Eureka Christian Church to help clean up, but were shocked to find more damage than they could handle. Some people snuck into the church gym and had a ball blasting three fire extinguishers.
"It's everywhere. It's on the tables, on the chairs, on the lights, and on the floor. It's just filth," said Eureka Christian Church member Karry Shears of the extinguisher residue.
"When I walked in and saw the damage my heart fell to the ground," said 43-year church member Todd Colley.
...Their insurance company estimates the job will take at least two weeks to clean, but has not determined how much the damage will cost.
The residue for the fire extinguishers is still thick in the air 3 days after the incident and has covered nearly every surface.
A long term concern the church may need to address is that the dry chemicals from extinguishers is corrosive to electronics and extremely difficult to remove from the delicate instrumentation. The best way to discourage fire extinguisher vandalism is to know when it is taking place by using a fire extinguisher monitoring solution like that provided by en-Gauge.
Vandals Coat Spokane, WA School Gyms with Fire Extinguishers
In an all to familiar story, vandals broke into a school overnight and the staff came in to find a huge mess and a major disruption to business as ususal.
This photo from KREM.com gives an indication of just how much area a vandal can impact by discharging just a single fire extinguisher.
Former Hewlett-Packard Building Vandalized with Fire Extinguishers
In Greeley, Colorado police arrested 3 teenaged boys involved in a truly expensive act of vandalism. According to The Greeley Tribune:
Three 16-year-old boys were arrested by Greeley police after they were found inside the old Hewlett-Packard building in west Greeley, where they were accused of causing up to $100,000 in damage.
Greeley police spokesman Sgt. Joe Tymkowych said police received a call from a watchman at the plant, in the 900 block of 71st Avenue, at about 11 a.m. Thursday. The caller said he saw three boys setting off fire extinguishers inside the building.
Police arrived minutes later and found the three boys hiding on the roof of the building.
Based on the feedback from the community regarding this story on the Tribune website, passions are running high about the amount of damage and the need to make an example of these vandals.
$10,000 of damage to Eureka, MO High School Pool due to Fire Exinguisher Vandalism
Why is it that schools get hit so hard by vandals that think it is funny to discharge these vital life safety devices as a prank. With the vandals caught in this situation and a $10K price tag plus criminal charges pending, they probably no longer think it was a very clever idea. According to the Eureka-Wildwood Patch:
Damage to the school's pool was deemed "extensive," and estimated to cost more than $10,000.
Wiegand said the police report filed by Eureka police and school resource officer Michael Smith indicated the incident was reported by Eureka's athletic director Jason Green.
"(Green's) statements outlined that he found chemicals floating in the pool from fire extinguishers being sprayed there, and on the equipment of the school's aquatic sports department, which rendered the pool and items unoperable," Wiegand said.
....Monday night, Eureka High School physical education teacher and swim coach Sharon Wasson said the pool underwent extensive cleaning, but that the swimmers were happy to have it return to operational. St. Louis-based catastrophe and restoration company CATCO, handled the cleaning project. She said they did a phenomenal job with the situation.
Don't be taken by surprise by vandals. Start monitoring your fire extinguisher 24/7/365 with the en-Gauge electronic fire extinguisher monitoring system and be sure that your first line of defense against fires is where is needs to be, accessible and ready for proper use.
