Arson Awareness week

USFA Announces the 2011 Arson Awareness Week Theme

Contact:

USFA Press Office: (301) 447-1853

Emmitsburg, MD – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) is pleased to partner with the International Association of Arson Investigators; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; USAonWatch; National Association of State Fire Marshals; National Volunteer Fire Council; and the Insurance Committee for Arson Control to announce the theme for the 2011 Arson Awareness Week: Working Together to Extinguish Serial Arson. USFA and its partners will use the week of May 1st to the 7th to focus public attention on the value of a collaborative effort with law enforcement, fire and emergency service departments, and the community to battle serial arsonists.

The goal for this year’s Arson Awareness Week (AAW) is to focus attention on serial arsonists and provide law enforcement, the fire service, and communities with tools and tactics to prevent arson in their city and towns. “A serial arsonist can paralyze a community with fear,” said Glenn Gaines, Deputy United States Fire Administrator. “Each fire feels like a personal assault. Banding together as partners strengthens our resolve and can bring law enforcement, the fire service, and the public together to more effectively fight the crime of arson.”

Many communities across the country are experiencing a rash of serial arson-related fires. Serial arson is defined as an offense committed by fire setters who set three or more fires with a significant cooling off period between the fires. These types of fires are plaguing many rural and urban communities causing significant loss of life and millions of dollars in property damage, adding to the suffering already caused by the current economic climate.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) reports that from 2009 – 2010 there were 88 reported serial arson incidents with an aggregate monetary loss of $4.8 million. Arson in residential dwellings accounted for 49 percent of these incidents. The National Fire Protection Association reports that in 2007, three firefighters died and 6,100 were injured during response to intentionally set fires.

According to the USFA’s National Fire Incident Report­ing System (NFIRS) data, from 2004 to 2006 an estimated 210,300 intentionally set fires occurred each year in the United States. Intentionally set fires account for 13 percent of fires responded to by fire departments across the Nation. These fires resulted in an average of approximately 375 deaths, 1,300 injuries, and $1.06 billion in property loss each year.

For more information regarding the 2011 Arson Awareness Week, go to www.usfa.fema.gov/aaw/.

For more information regarding the Fire/Arson and Explosion Investigation curriculum, or any of the other courses offered at the National Fire Academy, go to www.usfa.fema.gov/nfa/.

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The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

Passing of my Dog Cody

This is my friend Cody a 17 1/2 yr old Mixed terrier who loved to roam around my friend Barbra Novasol farm who was also my Biology teacher in High School and life time friend. When barb passed away from Cancer she asked we take care of her pets 2 orange white tabby cats Mom and Doozie and Quippie a Shepard mix and Cody who is now the last to pass away. He went peacefully after having suffering deterioration in his legs . He is now with Barbra and his friends again.

Nothing but LIP SERVICE from the Sprinkler Crowd

2 dead in a Group home for the mentally impaired which had no sprinkler system in Erie Pa.
20 disadvantaged older men with mental or other impairments loose there Personnel care home in Claysville Pa. a home which did not even require a full fire system and no sprinklers.

The sprinkler crowd is so worried about having sprinklers in new homes which are less likely to catch fire because of all the new construction techniques and the sprinkler requirement is actually keeping those home owners who are working class and buying lower end homes from affording them . in Allegheny county to meet all the requirements which require a master plumber, professional plans, flush and flow tests etc. additional tap. Yes you are looking at $8,000.00 to16,000
for an average home to have sprinklers plus another $6000,00 to meet energy and electrical codes
so anyone buying a low end home including those groups like habitat for humanity trying to help build low end homes are screwed.

So what is the real message the sprinkler crowd sending?

If your are old or disabled or mentally deficient or are working poor you are not worthy of
the safety systems new home owners must have. So screw you.

After the 2 deaths in Erie after the personnel care home fires some fatal in other states where are the sprinkler advocates calling for safer housing for our disadvantaged, where are they? they are no where. Not one word not one outraged voice in the news saying this needs to stop we need to get these people out of these old unsafe homes or sprinkler them.

The places that really need sprinklers the most do not have them and never will . Why with all the technology we have available no one has come forward with an effective way to prevent or put our fires in structures ?
Well thank UL the lawyers and everyone else who has there hand out making it so we do not have affordable alternatives to sprinklers.

Think about it what is the real agenda of sprinkler advocates when they are not interested in protecting the disadvantaged and only new home owners ?

Guest Blogger on Sprinklers

We have a guest Blogger Today Mr. Jack Mason CFI , Fire Marshal and Emergency Management Coordinator for Municipality of Penn Hills Pa.

Mr. Mason is a Certified Fire Investigator thru the IAAI- International Assoc. Arson Investigators. and a well known expert on fire related issues.

One of which he raises in today's blog.

NEW RESIDENTIAL SPRINKLER LAW IN PENNSYLVANIA

THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR’S AFTERMATH

Hopefully, everyone in Pennsylvania is aware that, as of January 1, 2011, any new single family dwelling built will be required to have a “residential sprinkler system” installed. This is a Code Requirement found in portions of the “Pennsylvania Uniform Construction Code”.

You may have heard various “pros” and “cons” regarding such systems, mostly dealing with the overall costs for installation. Within the “Code” community, there are other questions staring to arise. These include such things as:

- WILL there be “plans” submitted” for such installation?

- WHO is going to “review” the Plans submitted?

- WHO will do the installation?

- WHO is going to do the “final inspection of such installation?

- WILL the final installation meet the Code requirements?

- HOW will future changes made by the homeowner and/or Contractor (or others) affect the operation of the sprinkler system?

WHOA!! Wait a minute, what does that have to do us “Fire Investigators”? Well, I have been hearing of several scenarios in the aftermath of a “house fire” with such a “required” sprinkler system installation in place. Let me use one example of a “what if” scenario.

The homeowner is frying a pan of chicken thighs on the kitchen stove, and goes to the living room to watch part of the evening “news”. Suddenly, smoke comes from the kitchen, and they return to find a fire coming from the pan of chicken, and going up to the wooden cabinets above. Feeling they cannot control the fire, the homeowner and family flee the house and call 9-1-1. The FD arrives to find the kitchen “fully involved”, with fire entering the dining room. By the time the fire is extinguished, it had gone from the first floor, up the stairs, and to part of the bedroom areas. But wait! The Fire Chief wonders why the fire got “out of the kitchen” when there was a sprinkler system there also. Oh well, the Firefighters did their job, and now return to the Fire Station.

Now, it is time for the “Fire Investigator” (public and/or private) to “do their thing”.

Basically, your investigation reveals that the “area of origin” is the kitchen, specifically the “point of origin” being the kitchen stove and the pan thereon. You examine the remains of the pan, the conditions of the various “burners” and their controls, the half-empty bottle of “oil” used to cook the chicken, etc., and conclude the ignition scenario is one you have seen far too many times before. Now you may think (hopefully), “Hmmm, this house has one of those new ‘residential sprinkler systems’ in it, and a sprinkler head is centered in the kitchen ceiling. Why didn’t it fully extinguish the fire, or at least keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the house?”

Now, the questions begin, and further investigation is conducted.

- Did the sprinkler head “operate”?

- Was the “sprinkler head” the proper type?

- ?????

OK, you (or, a “Code” expert) determine that the “sprinkler head” was the proper type, and, it DID operate. Fine, but, why didn’t it control or stop the fire? Without touching on potential “spoliation” issues, we will state that further examination is now conducted. The following are just some of the issues that may arise from your further examination (and includes some comment).

#1- A “valve” for the sprinkler system is found in the “off” position. (Did the homeowner do this, or, was it never turned “on” after the final inspection? If “never turned on”, is the “Installer”, and/or the “local Code Inspector” at fault ? Wait, did the Code allow for such a valve in the first place?)

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#2- Everything “looks OK”, but you wonder if the ½” copper waterline could have supplied enough volume and pressure to the kitchen sprinkler head? (Code issues. Was it “sized” properly, and where are the “calculations” for such an installation? Did an Architect submit drawings/calculations for the system? If so, did the Installer follow such drawings for their installation? If no drawings were prepared, what “Codes” did the Installer follow for such installation?)

#3- Gee, everything so far, once again, “looks OK”. Now, you examine the sprinkler head itself. Was it the proper “head” for this type of “residential” installation, or, do you find it is a “commercial” head, with a higher temperature rating than what is called for under the “residential” installation Code? (Was the “wrong” head called for in the specs, or did the Installer putting in the wrong “head”.)

#4- Well, you have found all the valves in the proper position, and the “specs” for the overall system all match “Code” requirements, and the “sprinkler head” in the kitchen is the right size, now what? Well, you notice that, prior to the fire, there had been a large ornamental kitchen ceiling “light and fan” unit in the center of the kitchen ceiling. The “sprinkler head” is on the side of this unit “away” from the stove, and only 2” from the unit body. The homeowner tells you that this was there when they moved in. Hmm, there is the potential for the “sprinkler head” not being able to provide the proper amount of water immediately to the fire area (kitchen stove top), due to being partially “blocked” by the unit body. (Did the Electrician install the fan after the sprinkler head was in place, or, did the Sprinkler Installer install the sprinkler head after the “light and fan” unit was in place? The Sprinkler Installer should have been aware of the “clearance” issues (Code requirements), and/or the Code Inspector should have been aware of similar issues upon the final inspection.) However, what if the homeowner installed this unit, not realizing it could block the sprinkler head’s effectiveness?

#5- In the “when all else fails” situation, you may decide to check the water supply at the street (a Fire Hydrant flow test). Do the findings match the original “flow test” results? If there is a “major” deviation i.e., a “lower” supply, you must ask “WHY”? Was there an original flow test actually done? On the day of the fire, did the Water Authority have any “problems” in the area, such a broken main water line, which could have affected water flow at the time of the fire? Did the Water Authority, six months after the house was completed, change part of their in-ground System, so that a lesser amount of water was available when the fire occurred? (The supply would still meet minimum requirements for area “general fire and domestic service” water, but, if the calculations for the house was at the bare minimum [maybe to keep installation costs down] , then the current Public street service water would NOT be enough to comply with Code requirements “inside” the house [did the Sprinkler Designer” provide any “percentage increase” to address just such an issue?] )

My “intent” here is NOT to “take a side” on the Code issues, although as a Firefighter, I can see the potential for life and property savings such Systems can provide (including the lives of Firefighters), regardless of the “costs”.

And, it is NOT my “intent” to take issue with any sprinkler system Architect, Designer, Installer, Trades-person, and/or Code Official/Inspector regarding their qualifications and/or job performance.

Further, it is NOT my “intent” to put together a “blueprint for potential SUBROGATION” for the Fire Investigator of such scenarios, although I would hope that ANY Fire Investigator would at least be aware of such potentials.

Rather, due to the MANY comments and questions that I have heard, as a “Firefighter, Fire Investigator, and/or Code Official”, it IS my “intent” to show, just like the old Social comment “It takes a Village to raise a Child”, that it takes a combined effort to insure that, when such Systems are installed, they are installed correctly, and in full Code compliance, and all factors affecting the performance of such Systems continue to be “maintained”, so that, when called upon, they can perform correctly and extinguish and/or control the fire.

Like a chain made up of many “links”, it only takes one “weak link” to cause the entire chain to fail, and the load it carries. When that happens, the door for the Fire Investigator, and maybe to potential SUBROGATION, is opened, and the whole “Village” can be affected.

I TOLD YOU SO AND NOW PEOPLE ARE DEAD

on Feb 20th of 2011 I posted a blog about the dangers that Group homes pose to mental patients
how there not well constructed and the fire dangers. This very group who managed the home in the article I talked about which was originally published back in the late 90's in Pa Fireman's Magazine
has now in fact Had fatality's from a fire at one of the group homes they run in Mill Creek Erie County Pa. I warned about it I screamed about and I said this day would come to be and now people are dead and what is going to be done about it. Nothing as usual because no one in this state has the balls to stand up and demand our citizens in the mental health community be treated better. It is a very sad day indeed in Pa. a day of shame.

http://nickmarkowitz.blogspot.com/2011/02/group-home-dangers.html

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20110416%2FNEWS02%2F304169917

With the flick of a switch

One simple switch left off

Major problems and catastrophes have resulted

On numerous occasions!

By Nick Markowitz Jr.

Fire Investigator/Researcher

A worker at a large Biomedical/Chemical manufacturer leaves a vital switch to a manufacturing process in the off position over a weekend and it results in $20,000.000.00 Loss of product in this automated plant.

A service tech leaves a switch in program mode instead of normal mode and Allegheny Counties 911 center goes down for several hours after a rouge number comes into the system and ties it up resulting in at least one death of an infant. Sprinkler Control Valves are turned off by Building Maintenance Men and a trouble signal is ignored and 3 firefighters loose there lives when a fire breaks out which would have been controlled by the sprinklers.

All of the above are true events which are among many tragic events that play out in this country on an almost daily basis, because a switch is turned off and forgotten about.

Not just any switch but very critical ones.

It is very easy for this to happen when people forget they have done it because they get busy with another project or service call to run to etc. and there is no follow up.

While many safety programs have been put in place to catch these mistakes they still happen. Some systems now have very visible flashing and blinking lights reminder buzzers etc. They warn a critical device has been shut off or bypassed to prevent a problem and often times they are ignored or simply disabled or the safety light or buzzer it self malfunctions .

Even more disturbing is the number of critical switches that have no warning they have been disabled. Sometimes just an out of service tag is placed on the switch some times not even this simple device is used.

OSHA has developed the Lock out Tag Out program to help prevent Accidents to personnel from electrical shock, hi pressures, temps etc.

But many standards do not address switch shut off issues where immediate Life Safety issues are not present and only become apparent when a device has failed to operate because it was inadvertently shut off .In the case of the 911 center it was several months before they had a problem because a simple switch was turned off and not restored.

Recently I replaced an older Foam Releasing Fire Panel at a Petroleum Transmix Facility

Which protected the Propane and Gasoline Loading Rack area .And was surprised to find the older panel had no supervision of the main electric coil which releases the foam. The one critical circuit the panel was designed around and personnel on site had no idea if this coil was working or not. They knew if the power was off battery low wiring to pull stations and rate of compensation detectors and if valves were turned off or working etc. but no idea the foam would or would not release. After many accident investigations of fire system failures etc UL and NFPA have now recognized this one area that was over looked and now the coils are fully supervised. But it also depends on the installer properly wiring it as well. Modern Fire Systems now have all kind of safety features built in to detect when a panel or one of its functions is not operating properly, which in the long run will help prevent problems but again many times it is strictly up to the persons installing the systems, inspecting the systems and operating the systems to make sure proper procedures are carried out. This is why on Nuclear Submarines when a command is given it is repeated down the line several times to make sure all involved in the command make sure it is carried out. It may seem over kill but this is what the Navy found out was critical in making sure Nuclear Subs operate safely and why our Atomic Sub Fleet has such a good safety record. Because they try to keep the human factor in check.

I work in many High Risk Industrial Facility’s where it is critical to note positions of valves and switches where trained plant personnel conduct regular hourly inspection tours. But some plants leave it up to a Minimum wage Security Guard to take readings etc. which could very well be jeopardizing the people in the plant and surrounding community. I know this all too well because when I worked as a guard while attending Refrigeration &Heating trade school I worked at a plant in Carnegie area which made cooking oil called Mallot Industries where they wanted us to push a switch to turn on a massive oil fired boiler system if it went off line. One very cold night it did.

I refused to throw the switch and called the Plant Engineer because I saw an irregularity with the system I was cursed and screamed at for waking him up and by my guard supervisor from CPP Security for making them come to the plant at 3:00 am .But after they arrived and saw the problem they quickly apologized .I was even given a small token of thank you as well

Thank God that night I was working and not another guard as things could have been catastrophic as fuel oil had built up in the boilers because they did not fire on properly

And there would have been an large flash over an possible explosion when the fire button was activated.

Needless to say after that incident Guards were to no longer hit the button and call plant personnel instead. Makes you wonder just what the hell these plant owners were thinking in the first place. Eventually the boilers where replaced and old boiler house torn down.

In a couple of cases when I was working as a guard at places and I pointed out a problem the plant owners had me moved to another site seems I had uncovered a scheme to damage a factory and collect the insurance money and foiled there plans.

Eventually these unsafe places went bankrupt. It is unfortunate how many bad business owners there are in the world who do not care about there employees one only has to look at the mining industry in West Virginia this year.

Because safety rules were ignored or violated to keep production operating.

Knowing all the problems that go on with critical switches and signals you would think by now many of these issues would be addressed but unfortunately it is not until the investigation is conducted that a problem is discovered.

This is why you always see codes being updated but all too often existing problems are never corrected or addressed and Codes still are often inadequate and take several revisions till all issues are covered.

Lazy Plumbers Puting Public at risk when they remove ground wires

One of my clients a high end restaurant called me today he was getting a phone line fault indication
on his Fire Alarm and I went to the site and started testing finding the phone lines where fine but every so many minutes a fault would happen when I looked at the panels log I also saw other weird
Things going on as well with the processor. after checking everything over and rebooting the Burglar system and the fire system I noticed while them waiting to boot up that a new Water filter system had been installed and some lazy ass plumber had disconnected the ground wire and clamp since it no longer fit on the bigger pipe being used. The Plumber never bothered to tell any one this needed fixed as it is an essential for the fire and burglar alarm panels to keep them in safe operational order. First the ground wires remove any potential electrical current which may be leaking from a faulty component which is not enough to trip a breaker but can still deliver a significant shock depending on your health it could be fatal.
2nd the ground wires provide for what is known as zero or reference ground in electronics if certain chips etc become confused they look for zero ground to rest there counters. no ground or dirty ground machines controls etc can malfunction and lock up.
3rd the ground on Fire and burglar panels provide a ground reference for the telephone line voltage verification circuit. which tells the location and or central station if voltage is not on phone line and it is not working. 4th it passes stray surge voltage when a near by lightning strike or surge enters the system.
As you can see that simple little ground wire is important and when it comes to bigger ground wire jumpers used around water meters for safe passage of stray current if a ground wire used for an electrical service is not removed properly a plumber could be electrocuted if the electrical services neutral has deteriorated. But even these I see removed all the time when Back Flow preventers are installed by professional plumbers who again do not give a dam and tell no one when it does not fit.
In the latest case the restaurant owner called the plumbing company who sent a supervisor on scene and he had me give him the bill and they wrote me out a check for having to fix things.
Needless to say he had some serious conversations with his plumbing crews.

Fire Alarm causing a Fire ?

Why are Alarm Installers not properly installing the Dual Battery Harnesses?
On High end Ademco /Honeywell Combo Fire / Burglar Alarm Panels

By Nick Markowitz Jr.

Alarm Installers are dangerously disregarding Honeywell’s Factory Instructions on its high end panels when it comes to how the dual battery harness is installed on Vista 32 FB, 128 FB and 250 FB and FBP Panels
Instead of putting the doubled end red and black wires on the 2 bottom terminals and nothing on the top 2 terminals and having 2 loose red and black wire sets 4 wires total. Installers are installing the 4 loose wires on the 4 board terminals and putting the doubled ends on a single battery which puts 2 fuses in parallel to the single battery thereby overloading the battery leads which could lead to a fire and or explosion of the battery under certain circumstances. The top 2 board terminals are only used when the panel has the 24 DC volt horn adapter installed.
What the factory should be doing is putting plastic caps over these terminals so they are not used and marked 24 VDC adapter use only.
Now the factory should not even have to do this because had installers done due diligence of reading the instructions before they installed the panels they would know not to do this dangerous practice. But lets face it too many installers are a dime a dozen do not care to learn there trade are underpaid and have no pride in there work
Personally only one time doing national accounts service have I ever found in 20 years of working on these panels have I found the harness installed correctly. I note this all the time on work orders and no one cares to pay attention till the day comes a battery gets overcharged short circuits and the inline fuse is delayed in blowing out and you have a serious problem on your hands. With all the poorly built batteries being sold out there it is just a matter of time till a fire alarm actually causes a fire some day or an installer gets seriously hurt responding to a low battery signal. I have actually pulled batteries out where the batteries temp had exceeded 600 degrees.
And have a complaint filed with CPSC over certain manufacturer’s batteries due to all the problems I am seeing with them. But as usual nothing will change until there is a disaster. Educating installers not to do this forget it.
They could care less.