Wednesday, October 2, 2002

Questions and answers with John Oxendine

Each year with the start of fall and cooler weather, we see an increase in house fires and related fatalities. So this season is a good time to remind ourselves of the toll fire takes in lives and property, and the need for an awareness of fire safety in our homes and places of work.

The reason my office gets involved in fire issues is that in Georgia, the Insurance Commissioner is also the Safety Fire Commissioner. The responsibilities of the Safety Fire Division fall into six main categories: building inspection, manufactured housing inspection, fire scene investigation, engineering, hazardous materials inspections and licensing, and fire safety education.

Last year 121 Georgians lost their lives due to fires, and most of those fatalities happened in the victim's own home.

Question: How can I protect myself and my family from house fires?

Answer: Make sure your home has smoke alarms. The majority of fires happen at night when people are asleep. Your risk of dying in a house fire is reduced by nearly half if you have a working alarm. Also, practice a family escape plan. Teach family members to stay low, crawling under the smoke, when leaving the house. Everyone in your family should know how to get out of the house if a fire should occur, and where to meet after they're outside. Each room of your house, and especially the bedrooms, should have two avenues of escape in case one exit is blocked by fire.

Question: I have a three-bedroom house. How many smoke alarms do I need?

Answer: An average-size home should have more than one alarm, at least one for every level of the house. Ideally, place one in each bedroom and one outside the bedroom area. Mount the smoke alarm on the ceiling, at least four inches from a wall, or high on a wall about four to 12 inches from the ceiling.

Question: What are the most common causes of fatal house fires?

Answer: Last year the top causes for fatal house fires in Georgia were cooking-related fires, careless smoking, misuse of portable heaters, and electrical problems, such as an overloaded circuit.

Please send your insurance or fire safety questions to:

Insurance and Fire Commissioner John Oxendine

716 West Tower

2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Or call 404-656-2070 (toll free at 1-800-656-2298) for assistance with an insurance question. TDD services available at 404-656-4031. Website www.gainsurance.org.

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