By MIKE COURSON
Great Bend Post
Everything the national and international fire prevention advocates do is rooted in tradition. Fire Prevention Week, from Oct. 5-11 this year, dates back to the Great Chicago Fire that burned from Oct. 8-10, 1871, killing approximately 300 people and destroying 3.3 miles of the city. Tradition has its place, but Great Bend Fire Department Lieutenant Garrett Tindall said current firefighting involves so much more.
“Back in the day, they used to make things out of traditional lumber and things like that, and it could take a while for a fire to really to get going,” Tindall said. “The reality is, nowadays, with the new materials they’re using, a fire can double in size every 30 seconds in a home. You can have a room become non-survivable conditions in as little as 3-5 minutes.”
The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week is “Charge Into Safety: Lithium-Ion Batteries in Your Home.” The devices can be found in everything from cell phones to tablets and computers to watches. The batteries have created their own type of fire-related danger.
“Lithium reacts violently when exposed to oxygen,” said Tindall. “When they make the battery, they seal them up so the air cannot get into them, but when they start to fail, they start to swell up. They’ll become a little soft and spongy. Once that battery ruptures, it starts a violent chemical chain reaction that you cannot get stopped. It spreads very quickly. It’s very hot and very scary.”
Carrying on a Fire Prevention Week tradition, GBFD will again visit all elementary schools in Great Bend, reaching nearly 1,500 students in grades K-6. Each student will receive a home escape plan. Kindergarteners will receive fire helmets, first graders will be given foldable fire trucks, and second graders will receive wall growth charts. The fire safety presentation will include how to call 9-1-1, how to stop, drop, and roll, and the importance of safely buying, charging and recycling lithium-ion batteries.