VIDEO: The St. Louis Fire Department allowed First Alert 4 to suit up and participate in a live burn demonstration on Friday. That demonstration showed just how quickly a fire can escalate, and how critical working smoke alarms are in providing the precious seconds needed for survival. โHow quickly the heat can over take you. How quickly the smoke affects you. what it does to your blood pressure, your pulse and what it can do to your skin if you donโt have the outfits on we provided,โ Chief Jenkerson said.
During the demonstration, First Alert 4 went into a controlled fire room environment to experience firsthand how early a smoke alarm activates and how rapidly conditions can deteriorate. The fire department emphasized that seconds save lives, and that prevention begins long before firefighters arrive. โWithin 2,3,4 minutes its heated to the point where itโs going to spontaneously combust and youโve got immediate heavy fire load,โ Chief Jenkerson said.
This weekend, the St. Louis Fire Department, in partnership with the American Red Cross, will be canvassing neighborhoods throughout the City of St. Louis, installing free smoke alarms and assisting families in developing or evaluating their home escape plans. โIf you have AA, AAA or a 9 volt battery in your smoke detector it needs to be replaced with a new generation smoke detector that has a custom fit battery that will last for 10 years,โ Chief Jenkerson said.
The fire department said a working smoke alarm increases a familyโs survival rate by more than 50% in a house fire, providing the critical time needed to implement that plan and reach safety. Acting Captain Cody Carpenter said smoke detectors should be on every floor, and placed outside the bedrooms. โThis will save your life. Smoke detectors save lives,โ Carpenter said.
