Although completely eradicating injury and death from the ravages of fire is a seemingly unattainable goal, fire problems in the United States have been significantly reduced in the last three decades. In 1977 there were 3,264,000 fires reported in the US resulting in 7,395 civilian deaths. By 2005, the number of deaths had been reduced to 3,675, a reduction of over 50%. While that news is encouraging, direct property damage from fire was estimated at a staggering $10.5 billion. We have come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
The widespread use of smoke detectors in homes has led to a tremendous reduction in fire deaths. But smoke detectors cannot save lives if they are not properly maintained or if they don’t alert occupants in time to allow them to escape safely. In 2004, 30% (804) of civilian fire deaths occurred in single-family homes with working smoke detectors. What more can be done? Many cities have adopted laws requiring fire sprinkler systems to be installed in all new residential occupancies. Fire data from these cities, some going back two decades, show there has not been a single fire death in a home with a properly maintained fire sprinkler system. Take the time to learn more about this life saving technology. Sprinkler systems do save lives!
Fire prevention is a multi-faceted endeavor. Fire protection systems (sprinklers and alarms) are crucial to the protection of life and property and the Northshore Fire Department Fire Prevention Division provides plan review and inspection services for all new installations and modifications of existing systems. These systems are just one piece of a coordinated fire prevention effort. Some other services our Fire Prevention Division provides include:
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Public Education: school programs, community event participation, safety skills presentations for high risk groups |
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Inspections: annual inspections of existing businesses, complaint follow-up, special request inspections, new construction inspections |
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Fire investigations: origin and cause determination, data collection |
The Fire Prevention Division also coordinates planning, land use and code enforcement efforts with the cities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park. We are also actively involved in several regional fire safety and emergency preparedness organizations.
All of these efforts would have little impact without the most important component, you the citizen. The actions and behaviors of every person make a difference. The Northshore Fire Department is a valuable resource and will assist you in making safe habits part of your everyday life, but it is up to you to educate yourself about safety; to think and act safely; and to teach your children to be safe so together we can help ensure a safer community and a brighter future for all.
