PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The tragedies of the Fairmount duplex fire and New York's Bronx high-rise fire have brought fire prevention and safety to the forefront of many minds. The Chief of Fire Prevention for the Philadelphia Fire Department hopes everyone is taking a second look at their homes now.
"Sadly, these events are what make us think about fires. If it doesn't happen on our block or if it isn't someone we know, we think of everything else that can happen to us in the universe," said Chief Gustav Baumann.
According to Baumann, many single family homes in different sections of the city have been converted into multiple occupancy dwellings.
"Sometimes it's one family per floor. Sometimes the apartments are broken down where they have sections of floors," he said. "What is interesting about these is that they are coded as a single family home, not needing fire alarms."
However, Baumann said every apartment needs working smoke alarms, either new alarms with 10-year lithium batteries built in or older models that require 9-volt batteries.
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"Continue on by having a carbon monoxide alarm on every level of the home and then continue through to having a fire escape plan and then follow that up by practicing," he suggested, adding that families should prepare their children for fire emergencies.
"What we tell families is start off small," he advised, "showing them where they are in the house using a diagram. And then holding their hand and walking them through the house explaining if you ever see smoke or hear your smoke alarm go off, this is what we will do."
But what he doesn't recommend are escape ladders that hook onto windowsills.
"You are in an emergency and you are fighting for your life and you're scared. In most rowhomes throughout the city, if you go out back and look up there's a whole set of wires that go between the second and first floor windows," he detailed.
"If that insulation is stripped, and you put the ladder out the window and climb down, you may step on those wires," risking electrical shock or a fall from a second or third-story window.
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Baumann said in that situation it is better to go to the window, call for help and stay in place rather than try to exit. The key is to get that early warning from working smoke alarms and have an escape plan in place to get out quickly through your front door.
He also urged people to get kids used to sleeping behind closed doors, and use a baby monitor if they need to keep tabs on them. In the event of a fire, a closed door will prevent deadly smoke and heat from coming in and allow firefighters the time to respond if a family can't safely exit.