NFPA hosts a library of over 300 consensus codes and standards. In addition to regulatory standards issued by and alongside state and local governments, industry organizations such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) also issue mandates. These requirements, often created in response to fire outbreaks, are constantly evolving and continue to drive sustained customer demand for fire and life safety service providers. Local, state and federal codes mandate regular fire safety inspections, positioning fire equipment inspections and repairs as critical and non-discretionary investments in facilities. They personify the qualities we hold dear by making a personal commitment every day to look out for the life safety and security of our customers,” says Red Hawk President and CEO Mike McWilliams.Regulatory Requirements Drive Demand for Fire and Life Safety Services “We are extremely proud of these gentlemen because of their heroic actions and putting their training to work in emergency situations. If Red Hawk had not been at the school that day, property damage to the building would have been more widespread and the outcome could have been potentially tragic. The sprinkler system and our own attempts kept the fire at bay until the fire department could get to the scene,” Cunningham adds. “We did what we could, but were unable to put the fire out completely. Their education, training and knowledge of sound fire deterrence and life safety practices also meant they had the presence of mind to know the children needed to be evacuated immediately and the fire department notified by phone since the fire alarm was off-line for service,” says Hovater.īoth Cunningham and Feese downplayed the significance of their actions saying they simply contained the fire until firefighters could completely extinguish the blaze. “Our technicians risked their lives on a moment’s notice to quickly douse the blaze to prevent more serious property damage and potential injuries or loss of life. Red Hawk Service Operations Manager Dave Hovater, who has been asked to attend the school board meeting honoring his technicians, says both technicians have had training and are familiar with the proper operation of fire extinguishers to contain small fires such as this. We are all very thankful that these men took it upon themselves to run toward the fire, work to put it out, alert our students and staff to evacuate the building and call in the professional firefighters. “When someone yells ‘Fire!’ most people run the opposite direction. “The quick action of the Red Hawk team and our chief custodian prevented what could have been a tragic outcome,” says Dan Voelpel, spokesman for Tacoma Public Schools. Feese then rushed back to the door of the boy’s restroom to help his teammate. He also instructed a school staff member to call 911 since, with the fire alarm on test, no emergency signal would have gone to firefighters. Since the fire alarm panel had been placed on bypass for the test, Feese immediately re-enabled the horn, strobes, fan shutdown and door release at the fire alarm panel to alert students and staff of the danger. “I opened the door to the boy’s restroom and could see only a dark wall of smoke,” says Cunningham, who grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, pulled its pin, then took off his shirt wrapping it around his head to serve as an improvised mask to minimize inhaling the smoke as he crouched down and moved toward the fire.įeese rushed upstairs to see Cunningham running in the direction of the billowing smoke. He alerted his coworker and ran toward the source of the smoke. That’s when he heard a commotion in the hallway and a teacher yelling that there was a fire in the boy’s bathroom. “Cunningham saw an alarm signal coming into the fire alarm control panel that was not in the area where he and his colleague were working. The following is an excerpt from Red Haw’s press release: ![]() ![]() Red Hawk Fire and Security Describes the Incident The incident unfolded March 7 while Red Hawk Technician Rick Feese, a journeyman electrician, and Apprentice Technician Josh Cunningham were performing scheduled maintenance on the fire alarm system at Tacoma’s Whitman Elementary School. Two Red Hawk Fire and Security technicians were recognized for their courageous actions by a Tacoma, Wash., elementary school after they prevented a potentially catastrophic fire from spreading until firefighters could arrive on scene. The following story originally ran in Campus Safety’s sister publication, Security Sales & Integration.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |