Your Safety concerns

 

Fire Doors Locked / Blocked

 

This is NOT good, as it impedes your escape. A Fire Door doing its job, containing the Fire to the other side of the door, allowing you time to escape and limiting damage to your property. The other side of the Fire door A strong fire has taken place

Stored Rubbish

 

Eighty per cent of fires started by burning rubbish are caused by deliberate or malicious ignition. These guidelines will dramatically reduce the risk of malicious ignition.

Make sure doors, windows, gates, walls and fences are effectively secured especially when premises are closed at night or at the weekend Keep combustible goods and refuse clear of boundary walls and fences over which cigarettes and matches can be thrown. Consider using rubbish containers made of non-combustible materials, preferably with a secure lid that can be locked. Prohibit or restrict access to storage and refuse areas to members of the public. Arrange for refuse to be collected prior to high-risk times of the day. Do not over-fill rubbish containers in case the container lid cannot close securely. Be vigilant and make periodic checks on storage and refuse areas. Specific advice for industry Good housekeeping is an essential part of good management practice and is good fire protection. Premises that are well organised and carefully maintained are safer from fire. Keep premises clear of combustible process waste and refuse. Use metal receptacles with closely fitting lids for waste such as floor sweepings. Provide separate clearly labelled containers for waste with special hazards, such as flammable liquids, paint rags and oily rags. Remove waste containers from the building at the end of each working day - more frequently if necessary. Make sure that waste waiting for disposal is kept in a safe place and not accessible to the public. Make sure that any waste burning on site is carefully controlled and supervised. Specific advice for shops and stores The biggest fire risk in shops and stores is from fires begun deliberately. However, shop owners and managers can control this threat. Most of the arson fires affecting shops and stores are lit outside. Dealing with the waste and rubbish properly will help to keep your premises secure from fire Do not allow packaging, waste or rubbish to accumulate anywhere on the premises. Make sure all packaging, waste and rubbish is moved regularly to a safe storage place. The safest type of storage is metal bins with closed lids, preferably locked away in their own compartment or compound. Arrange regular and frequent collection of refuse by your local authority or contractor Specific advice for schools Schools are often at risk of fires started by vandals. You can reduce the opportunity for offenders to start refuse fires by making sure there is no combustible material lying around. Do not fix external waste bins to walls or under roofs made of combustible materials. Place refuse containers in a secure compound or secure them to a post on the ground by a padlock and chain. This should be well away from the building. Many schools are involved in recycling or fund-raising initiatives that collect newspapers, clothing and other materials. Make sure recycling bins are also well away from the building and in a secure compound. Have combustible waste and materials you are sending to be recycled regularly removed from school premises Specific advice for homes Clear rubbish out of attics, cupboards and from under the stairs. Keep all parts of the premises clear of waste and rubbish, particularly staircases, store rooms, lobbies and boiler rooms. This is vital for people living in flats and high-rise buildings as rubbish on fire may be blocking their means of escape. If you burn rubbish, make sure it is in a safe place. Put the ashes from internal fires in a separate metal container until cold. Do not put them in the dustbin. Do not use flammable liquids such as petrol or paraffin to light or revive a fire. (See Toolbox modules on Fireworks and Chimneys.) Keep all flammable liquids locked away. Keep wheelie bins away from the house if possible, or against non-combustible walls, making sure they are not near windows, doors or plastic rainwater pipes.

3. 'Children playing with Fire'

Aim of the page

Give background information

Give advice

Give an option of referral.

Professionals caring for children with worrying fire play!

Are You Worried About Your Child Playing With Matches. We Can Help!

 

“The solution of adult problems tomorrow

Depends in large measure upon the way

Our children grow up today.

There is no greater insight into the future

Than recognising when we save our

Children, we save ourselves.”

Young Child

Adolescent

School Arson ‘Slide To Ashes

School Fire Setter Identification

What YOU Can Do?

How the Fire and Rescue Service can help

 

Young Child Section

Fire is a natural phenomenon. When very young children begin to explore their environment, they may come across matches or lighters, and see them as toys. Children of two, three and four have no real sense of danger, and it is this age group who are probably the most at risk from fire, and they often die in the fires which they set, because they have no concept of the danger or the possible consequences of lighting a match or playing with a lighter.
 

Fire Playing? or Fire Setting?

Deliberate firesetting in very young children

Most very young children are simply attracted to the fascination of flames, and playing with fire. Very occasionally, though, a very young child can set a fire deliberately (How the Fire and rescue service can help) and it is therefore important to be aware of this possibility.

There is a difference between a young child who experiments with lighting small pieces of paper in their bedroom, and one who repeatedly sets fires under their mother’s bed or to set fire to a brother’s sister’s toy. FIRE SAFE or FIRE RISK 

 

?	FIRE SAFE behaviour is where a child understands the dangers of fire, is competent with the constructive, safe use of fire, appropriate to his or her age, and has learnt to use fire-starting materials in a supervised setting.
!	FIRE RISK behaviour is where the child has an interest, fascination, or obsession with fire that has not been addressed. Experimentation with fire has gone unchecked, and fireplaying gradually develops into fire setting (How the Fire and Rescue Service can help)

What YOU Can Do?

 

Keep matches and lighters out of childrens sight and reach.		Teach children that fire is a tool, not a toy.
Teach pre school children to TELL a grown-up if they find matches or lighters		Explain how grown-ups use matches and lighters.
Teach school age children to GIVE matches and lighters to a grown-up. Praise your child whenever he or she does this.		Teach your school age child the safe use of fire.
Teach your child to SAY NO when friends suggest playing with fire.		Provide opportunities for your child to light matches under grown up supervision e.g Birthday cakes.

Referring Children with concerning Fire Behavior

To make a referral:

Contact Fire Safety Department, States of Jersey Fire and Rescue Service

tel: + 44 (0) 1534 633567

The information we need from you:

 

Name of person making the referral:

Name of Child.

Address.

Parish.

Contact Number.

What happened?

 

Specfically trained staff.

One or more visits to your home within two working days of the request / referral.

A Fire Questionaire (complete by or with the child).

Absolute Confidentiality.

An offer of referral to other agencies if an problem is identified.

What we would like from you? 

The visit to be within the home.

The attendance of at least one parent.


 

Adolescent Section

Attention Seeking

Designed to gain attention and cause visual impact rather than damage. Sometimes an attention seeking firesetter will not only set a small fire, but also “discover” it.

Angry or revengeful

Arrived at by chance, as a means of resolving an angry feeling. If the behaviour becomes paired with feelings of satisfaction, it will be repeated as a future way of resolving similar angry feelings.

SLIDE TO ASHES

                               

Schools are vulnerable arson targets SPOT THE SIGNS

                                                  

From a sample of schools who recorded a fire, around one-third reported the evidence of someone trying to start a fire in the 12 months leading up to the recorded fire. In the same 12 month period, 84% stated that they had experienced at least one incidence of theft, criminal damage, or burglary. Of those schools who had recorded a fire, some 35% had subsequently experienced another fire.

Vandalism    

Small Nuisance Fire  

Break In

Large Fire

Five Point Action Plan

The prevention of arson attacks falls into a logical process:

Deter unauthorised entry onto the site

Prevent unauthorised entry into the building

Reduce the opportunity for an offender to start a fire

Reduce the scope for potential fire damage

Reduce subsequent osses and disruption resulting from a fire

Deter unauthorised entry onto the site

Discourage unauthorised entry onto the site by the use of signs and by delineating the boundary of the premises by use of a robust fence or hedge. This action makes it clear to potential intruders that they are on private property and for neighbours to see clearly that people are within the site boundaries. Consideration should be given to the type of fence or hedge used s that it does not obscure the vision of passers by or neighbours. It may also be necessary to consider security fencing for part of, or the whole site, if unauthorised intrusion is a major problem.

Most trespass and associated vandalism occurs out of school hours and often under cover of darkness. Consequently, good lighting is recommended. Sodium lighting should be used on elevations which are overlooked. Such lighting is inexpensive to run. In contrast, tungsten halogen lighting which is operated via infra-red motion detector is ideal for elevations that are not overlooked, but such lighting can be expensive to run. Lighting on elevations which are not overlooked or in recesses can attract unwanted visitors or provide intruders with ‘working light’. The colour rendering of light sources needs to be considered where CCTV surveillance is in use. Bespoke advice on security lighting can be obtained from the local crime reduction officers.

The presence of school staff living on the site is obviously a strong deterrent to potential intruders. Where this is not feasible, then roving patrols by either commercial or local authority security teams can be effective. Such patrols should be random in order to avoid a recognised pattern. If such a service is used, close liaison with the police is recommended. 

Prevent unauthorised entry into the building

If access to the site is controlled then the next barrier to the potential offender is the building itself.

Deep recesses and alcoves are particularly vulnerable. Ideally, building alterations should be undertaken to eliminate these features. Failing that, point lighting should be used.

The weakest points of entry into the building are, of course, the doors and windows. The numbers of doors and windows, particularly those out of view from the public, should be kept to a minimum. Clearly the means of escape should never be compromised and Fire & Rescue Service should always be consulted prior to any changes being made.

All external doors and windows should be fitted with approved locks (Thief Resistant Locks BS 3621:1980) and secured immediately the building is vacated. The local crime prevention officer would be pleased to advise on this subject.

Door frame construction should be of good quality, with solid core doors without lower panels which may be easily forced. The hinges and frames should be reinforced to deter removal. Where letterboxes are fitted they should be fitted with metal enclosures on the inside to prevent damage arising from the introduction of burning materials.

Break-ins via roof lights should be prevented by fitting grills or bars within the inside of the frame.

Low level glazing should be avoided both on security and safety grounds. If this is not possible it should be laminated or toughened, and securely fixed within the frame.

Intruder alarms should be connected to a call monitoring centre. Where the coverage of the alarm has to be limited, areas of high value should be alarmed. Consideration should be given to alarming areas such as corridors where intruders might be detected moving between rooms.

Schools should foster relationships with neighbours who are able to observe out-of-hours activity on the premises. In addition, the school should become involved in local ‘Neighbourhood Watch’ schemes, or develop their own ‘School Watch’ in conjunction with the local police.

The installation of CCTV has a high deterrent effect. CCTV systems which are not monitored have limited value, as the wide-angle lenses used to get the required coverage do not provide recordings of evidential quality. Some joint arrangements for monitoring CCTV pictures between schools and local Councils who operate a CCTV system have proved valuable in spreading the costs. The subsequent reduction in vandalism has proved such schemes to be cost effective, despite the initial high capital outlay. Specialist advice should always be sought before installation of CCTV is considered.

With the use of school buildings outside normal school hours and the opening the premises to a wider public, it is imperative that access to other parts of the school is limited. A routine should be adopted by nominated person to check that all external doors and windows have been locked once the school is vacated at the end of the day. It is important that the means of escape are not compromised when deciding which areas to secure whilst the premises are occupied, and important also that the local Fire Safety Officer is consulted.

Many of these measures will not only prevent arson but keep the school more secure generally.

Reduce the opportunity for an offender to start a fire

If an arsonist intent on causing damage is unable to enter the premises then the opportunity to light a fire on the outside of the building is often exploited. In many circumstances wilful damage can get out of hand. For this reason, it is important that the opportunity to ignite combustible material eliminated.

Refuse containers should be ideally placed in a secure compound or alternatively secured by a padlock and chain to a post sited no less than 8 metres from the building to prevent them being moved against the building.

Many schools are involved in re-cycling or fund-raising initiatives where newspapers, clothing and other materials are collected. Recycling bins should be located at least 8 metres from the building in secure compounds, and collections made regularly to avoid a build up.

Sheds and other storage facilities for sports and play equipment should be sited at least 8 metres away from the main building. This will avoid fire spread from such buildings involving the whole school.

Similar precautions should be taken with heating oil, natural gas and liquid petroleum gas installations. In particular the vulnerable parts of these systems, such as the pipework and meters, should be secured and protected to avoid them from being vandalised and used as a ready supply of fuel. Bund walls should be provided around fuel tanks to ensure spillages are contained.

‘Skirts’ should be fitted at the base of mobile classrooms to prevent combustible materials being placed underneath buildings and ignited.

Waste bins should not be fixed to walls or under roofs constructed of combustible materials, but secured to the ground and away from the school building.

Reduce the scope of potential fire damage

Should a fire be started, either deliberately or accidentally, it is important that its effect is minimised by containing the fire to a limited area, or ensuring high value contents are protected.

Schools of open plan design are more difficult to protect that those with traditional layouts with separate classrooms. With the latter, the compartmentation (fire-stops in the roof/ceiling voids) is an essential element of the design – even though the classroom construction may not be fire resisting.

During alterations and maintenance, consideration should be given to providing additional fire-break walls or doors to separate the building into compartments. This should include protection of concealed spaces such as roof voids. This needs to be properly designed and carried out with the assistance of professional advice.

The compartmentation may require fire resisting screens and doors across corridors, and the restrictions this may impose can be reduced by installing hold-open devices linked to automatic fire detection. Doors not required to protect means of escape routes may be left open during the day but need to be closed at night as part of the close down routine.

Partition walls need to be inspected regularly. When any maintenance, repair or alteration has been finished, such as installation of pipes/cables through partitions, the gaps around pipework should be made good with fire retardant sealant.

Equipment of high material value, such as audio visual aids, computers and similar laboratory-type equipment, should ideally be located in a secure, separate room where it will be out of sight and better protected in a fire.

Early warning of the outbreak of fire can significantly reduce the losses if early fire-fighting can be initiated. This ranges from a waste paper bin being extinguished by a member of staff to the alerting of the fire service whilst the premises is unoccupied. An automatic fire detection system, possibly using the same communication system as the intruder alarm, can mean the difference between containing the fire the compartment of origin and the loss of the whole building and contents. To be effective the alarm must give warning off-site.

Sprinkler systems are rare in existing schools but are increasingly being fitted in new school buildings, particularly in those which have been assessed as high risk.

Sprinkler systems are best regarded as a combined detection and extinguishing system. They have a proven track record over many years for successfully controlling fires in commercial buildings. The number and distribution of the sprinkler heads is arranged so that they can cover the area protected. This is usually the entire floor area of the school.

Sprinklers are expensive to install but are relatively cheap to maintain. By careful design of the system, malicious damage can be avoided, e.g. By using concealed heads. There can be additional costs to provide a suitable water supply. Insurance premiums and retained excess levels e.g. where the school or Education Committee pays the first £100,000 of each loss from a retained fund, may be reduced in schools with sprinklers, thereby reducing the overall annual running costs.

Reduce subsequent losses and disruption resulting from fire.

Recognition should be given to the provision of the most appropriate form of extinguishing medium. Water is the most effective medium for most fires but inappropriate for fires in electrical equipment.

Schools located away from residential areas may have poor water supplies which can hinder the fire service when trying to extinguish the fire. Ideally a private hydrant on a suitable sized main is desirable, but this is usually only available when the site is developed. An alternative would be an emergency water supply. This may be the swimming pool, but could be an ornamental pond of sufficient size which could double for nature and wildlife studies/ecology area.

Members of staff should be adequately trained in fire procedures, including how to summon the Fire & Rescue Service, building evacuation and the use of fire extinguishers. They should also be aware of the location of high value materials and equipment, particularly school records which may be irreplaceable, and have knowledge of a salvage plan to recover these items.

In the event of a fire, a service recovery plan will be invaluable. The service recovery plan, should include:

details of people who can help in an emergency;

information on suppliers;

inventory information;

how media enquiries will be handled.

School Firesetter.

Verbal communication is poor and the young person may develop a grudge against the school or against a specific teacher.

Demonstrating the following characteristics:

Usually a boy in the 13 to 15 years age range.

Poor verbal communication, and unable to resolve angry feelings with words.

Usually a low achiever-though not necessarily, but functioning below or well below potential.

Probably smokes.

Frequently in trouble, with punishment having little effect.

Tends to be moody