Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
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24 UCW APRIL 12-18, 2017 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM BEN MAJOR, Fire Chief, City of Faye eville Fire/Emergency Management Department, Contribu ng Writer. 433 Hay Street Fayetteville, NC 28301-5537 www.FayettevilleNC.gov (910) 433-1FAY (1329) /cityoffayettevillegovernment Insta Follow Your City on Social Media: Engaging You About Your City Government Engaging You About Your City Government Human Behavior-Related Risk Factors May Lead To Home Fires Recently, The Hartford, a nationally recognized insurance company, announced that the Fayetteville Fire/Emergency Management Department (FFD) will receive a donation of $10,000 within the next three years in response to a study that identified human behavior-related risk factors that may lead to home fires. The study indicated that residents within Fayetteville have charged a small electronic device in bed overnight, have left the kitchen while cooking something on the stove, and have left a room with a candle lit in a higher frequency than the national average identified. The study, The Hartford Home Fire Index, ranked Fayetteville 22nd out of 100 cities nationwide with an increased fire risk. Since the announcement, the question of "Chief, what does this study indicate about fire safety within the City?" has been asked on multiple occasions. For me to answer, let's take a closer look at the study. Insurance companies have a vested interest in identifying risks within the community. Much like an area with very few fire hydrants or a house that is located a long distance from a fire station, an increased risk may result in a large claim, a financial obligation for the insurance company, and possibly higher premiums for the consumer if a fire emergency does occur. But, the risks mentioned in this survey are not affiliated with a materialistic threat. The three risks identified encompass individual actions that we may perform each and every day. In our rushed lives, how many times have we walked away from dinner cooking to fold clothes? How many times have we lit a fragrant candle on a coffee table with newspapers or mail in close proximity? When we think about these actions, we quickly realize that we do these things. But, wait, nothing bad has happened yet, right? We often take risks without the realization that our actions may manifest into something we all hope we never have to deal with. But sadly, the reality of fire does occur within our city. In fact, unattended cooking accounts for the number one cause of home fires within Fayetteville. As a matter of fact, cooking is the leading cause of residential fires nationally. We must all remember that fire does not discriminate. It makes no difference if you live in a 900 square foot duplex or a 20,000 square foot two-story house, fire most often occurs in our most vulnerable moments at which we erroneously think we have everything under control. I am proud to say that Fayetteville is protected by one of the best fire departments in the state! As proven by distinguished commendations such as international accreditation by the Center for Public Safety Excellence and achieving a Class 1 rating through the Insurance Services Office, the staff of FFD is dedicated to insuring that we provide exemplary response and prevention efforts to lessen and reduce the threat of fire within our community. In partnership with community oriented companies such as The Hartford, we will strengthen our efforts to bring the message about fire safety home. Even with the accolades above, we must all never forget that we still have work to do. As your fire chief, I am dedicated to ensuring that each and every resident has a safe environment to live, work, and play. Please remember that the success of fire safety depends upon all of us! ROCKET FIZZ AND LET US BE YOUR EASTER BUNNY! 1916 SKIBO RD. • MARKETFAIR MALL FAYETTEVILLE • 910-867-6032 INTO HOP