California declared a state of emergency in San Mateo county when an explosion, believed to be caused by a broken gas line, sent flames through San Bruno, a San Francisco suburb. The fire spread over an area of 10 acres, destroying more than 50 homes and killing at least one person. More than 20 others sustained burn injuries. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the explosion. The local news media interviewed residents who had fled their homes. One person after the next described how they picked up critical documents before leaving. There are two takeaways from this frightening fire. The first is that you should have all of your critical documents backed up and online available for remote retrieval. Scan in your critical documents and upload them to a secure site. When a fire strikes, you should not delay even one second to retrieve documents. Prompt evacuation is called for; do not put yourself in harm’s way by assembling documents and other items. Human safety is priority number one. The second lesson is that while we are all experiencing difficulty in this recession, we should give what we can to the Red Cross to aid those who lose access to their homes in fires.

Traditional New England

The New York Times reported the moving story of how life in a small town in Vermont was upended when arson destroyed the general store that was the center of community life. The Putney General Store, built over 200 years ago, was likely the oldest general store in Vermont. A landmark building, tourists would pose for photographs in front of the store even as residents relied on it as a hub of information. The town has raised $200,000 to repair the building, but the story is a reminder of how small businesses define the character of local communities, unlike the anonymous national chain franchises or big box institutions. The tragedy also reminds us that everyday disasters, such as fires, are more likely to strike that major disasters.

Thankfully, It Wasn't Worse

In Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses (Wiley, second edition, 2008), I wrote about fire safety, including the importance of grounded electrical connections, maintaining a no-smoking policy at work and not leaving cooking appliances unattended, for example. Careful observation of safety procedures can significantly reduce your risk of fire at the workplace. Unfortunately, Credit Suisse learned this lesson the hard way when an employee left a space heater plugged in and on over the Thanksgiving holiday. The attached photograph shows the physical damage that resulted when an electrical fire started from the space heater. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Nevertheless, this is an important lesson in fire safety. Many small businesses become distracted by thinking of catastrophic risks specific to their geographic locale (hurricanes in the Gulf Coast states, earthquakes in California, etc.), but in fact, it is the everyday disasters, such as fire, that pose the greatest threat. Please take this opportunity to review your fire safety procedures to ensure that they are up to date and employees are compliant with them.

California has experienced more than 5,000 fires this year to date. Although the state budget has a $23 billion deficit, a $500 million reserve has been established for emergencies such as fires.  A wildfire north of Los Angeles in the San Gabriel Wilderness Area of the Angeles National Forest burned over 140,000 acres and cost $21 million in firefighting services. Thousands of homeowners have been displaced. The regret most often expressed is the failure to preserve treasured family photographs, as those memories cannot be replaced. I have all of my photographs scanned in and stored online for safekeeping. The cost is negligible and the benefit incalculable.

Fires spread quickly, be prepared

Early yesterday morning a fire started on the second floor of an apartment building in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood. The fire killed one resident and caused serious injuries to four others, when they jumped from the fifth and sixth floors of the building. Eight firefighters were also injured. Fires are actually the most common demand on the resources of the local chapters of the American Red Cross. Each year in the U.S., fires kills more than 4,000 people and injure more than 25,000. Many of these fires could be prevented. Fires cause close to $9 billion in annual property losses. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00 a.m. on March 8; use this occasion to put new batteries in your smoke alarms at both your place of work and your home and review your fire safety plan with your employees and your families.

Fire Prevention Week falls during the month of October and with it, a new Fire Safety Census was published by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and the International Association of Fire Fighters (“IAFF”). The survey revealed that many people unknowingly engage in risky behaviors and while nearly all respondents expressed concern about fire safety, many did not take basic precautions, such as checking out home smoke alarms or learning how to use a fire extinguisher. Based on the survey results, Liberty Mutual and the IAFF have put forward fire safety recommendations:

• Test smoke alarms once a month.
• Change smoke alarm batteries once a year – at an easy-to-remember time, such as when clocks are changed.
• Replace a smoke alarm that’s more than 10 years old
• Buy a fire extinguisher, mount it, and learn how to use it. Revisit the instructions every six months.
• Never leave burning candles unattended or near combustible materials – home fires caused by candles have doubled in the past decade.
• If a fire alarm sounds, or smoke is visible, evacuate first and then call the fire department.
• Close doors behind you when leaving the room and building to slow the spread of fire and smoke.
• Plan an escape route that shows two ways out of each room.
• Identify a meeting place near the home.
• Practice an escape plan – during the day and night – at least twice a year.
• Talk to children frequently about preventing fires and escaping fires.
• Do not leave a dryer on unattended.
• Do not leave a stove or oven on unattended.
• Keep portable heaters at least three feet away from all combustible materials and never leave them on unattended.
• Never disable a smoke alarm.
• Do not overload power strips.
• Turn holiday lights off when not at home.

For more information on the survey and fire safety tips go to www.befiresmart.com.