NYC Fire Deaths Hit Record Low

NYC recorded the lowest number of fire-related deaths in its history in 2012. It’s also the 7th year in a row in which less than 100 people died in a fire.

The 58 fatalities last year were four fewer than the previous low of 62 in 2010. The figures follows a national trend of improving fire safety that experts attribute to several factors, primarily fire-prevention education and smoke detectors. In fact, of the deaths that did unfortunately occur, nearly 80% occurred in places that had no functioning smoke detector.

The record low came even as the number of structure fires in the city rose 1% and firefighter response time increased by 2 seconds. The uptick in response time is tied partly to a heap of emergency calls during superstorm Sandy, when firefighters responded to almost 100 structure fires.

From 2002 to 2012, the city averaged 85 fire-related deaths per year, compared with the previous decade’s average of 140 people. In the 80s there was an average of 236 fatalities. As stated earlier smoke detectors, which became required by law in every home in NYC in 1981, are considered the most effective way to prevent injury and death from fires. They played a large part in the 19.6% nationwide decline in fire-related deaths from 2000-2009. A simple smoke detector could be the difference between you or a loved one surviving a fire or not.

Other improvements include the fire department’s outreach efforts, and better medical training for firefighters and emergency medical technicians. This has saved lives that might otherwise have been lost due to fires. It’s been estimated that the department reaches 600,000 people annually in public-education campaigns. In 2012, the city distributed 22,200 free smoke detectors and nearly 89,000 batteries for use in those alarms.

Although most insurance carriers prefer and some mandate hard wire smoke detectors, new battery technology has created a more cost effective alternative. Smoke detectors with a 10 year battery life. “The big fear from the insurance carrier standpoint is that landlords and owners don’t properly maintain the batteries in traditional smoke detectors making them obsolete when families and tenants depend on them most” says Rich Pizzucco Loss Control specialist with Harleysville Insurance Company. ‘The new lithium based smoke detectors take that concern out of play without having to call an electrician to hardwire your building for the smoke detectors” added Mr Pizzucco.

For more information on the new state of the art lithium based smoke detectors contact a Risk Advisor.

Smoke detectors save lives, literally. They don’t just make good business sense, it’s the right thing to do for the families that entrust their lives to you.