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Fire Safety

Firepit. METRO photo

When we are on vacation, the last thing on our minds is a fire. Unfortunately, tragedy can strike even during well-deserved time off.

Recently, a fire broke out in the home that a Maryland family was renting in Noyac while on vacation. Although the parents and their son were able to escape, their two daughters, 19 and 21, were unable to get out. They died later at a local hospital.

This tragedy is a crucial reminder that structural fires can happen at any time. 

Whether entering a hotel, motel, Airbnb or even a friend’s or relative’s home, people tend to scope out where they will be sleeping or which door is the bathroom. They may even look for the closets or go to the kitchen first to see the refrigerator size or the oven’s cleanliness if they plan on preparing meals.

But fire safety should always be at the top of their priority list, even if it will only be a few days away from home. 

Most people have learned fire safety and may take those rules for granted. We may believe that everyone is following those rules correctly, but the truth is some don’t.

While most hotels and motels must follow strict guidelines or face fines from local fire marshals, many in private homes may be a bit lax with respect to fire safety guidelines, even if their home is listed on Airbnb or similar websites.

Many don’t have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on each level of their home. Others may renovate their houses in ways that don’t meet safety requirements, making it difficult to escape through a door or window in an emergency.

Taking a few extra minutes when first arriving at a destination can keep vacationers safe.

In a recent TBR News Media article, fire marshals agreed that everyone should check for smoke detectors and escape routes such as doors and windows as soon as arriving at a vacation destination, even when staying in a hotel or motel. And as scary as it may seem, jumping from a second-floor window is better than remaining in a burning room.

The Noyac tragedy should remind all, whether they rent out their house or invite guests into their homes, that they are responsible for those people. It’s imperative to install smoke and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor, check them regularly and ensure you have a door and window escape route in every bedroom, plus a clear path to escape options in the house itself.

Finally, it’s essential to take care when using flames while enjoying the great outdoors, whether in a backyard or park, especially during the summertime when it’s drier. Whether it’s a campfire, fire pit or grill, make sure you put the fire out before leaving an area. Just a tiny spark can produce a conflagration, causing tragedy and devastation in its wake, threatening human beings and wildlife.

Just a little bit of precaution and care can make the difference, and perhaps save a life.

File photos of a fire in East Setauket from the Setauket Fire Department.

After a tragic fire broke out in Noyac, the tragedy sheds light on fire safety precautions people should consider before unpacking their bags in an unfamiliar room or home and in general.

When the Noyac fire broke out, a family of five from Maryland was on vacation, renting a single-family home. The Aug. 3 fire, in the early morning hours, claimed the lives of sisters Jillian Wiener, 21, and Lindsay Weiner, 19. Their parents Lewis and Alisa and their 23-year-old brother Zachary were able to escape with non-life-threatening injuries.

Town of Huntington chief fire marshal, Terry McNally, said in an email to TBR News Media, that residents should “make sure your home conforms to the state fire code and building code, including functioning smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors.”

“Each bedroom must have a smoke detector,” he added. “There must be a means of egress to get outside from each bedroom and hallway on each level, and there must be a carbon monoxide detector on each level within 15 feet of each bedroom.”

Christopher Mehrman, chief fire marshal for the Town of Brookhaven Division of Fire Prevention, agreed and said in a phone interview it’s important to ensure a rental property follows the same codes.

The marshal added it’s important to ensure there are detectors on each floor.

“You want that early warning to be able to get out if there’s a fire,” Mehrman said. 

Staying at a private home that may be included on a website such as Airbnb is different from being at a hotel and motel where they must meet stricter codes that marshals enforce, Mehrman said. He added while some municipalities might regulate Airbnbs and inspections are done, they are not as extensive as ones for corporate properties.

Mehrman said the first thing to do when vacationing anywhere is to check that there are smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and test them to see if they are working.

“If you’re in doubt, bring your own,” he said.

Many times he has conducted investigations where it’s found that the detectors aren’t working properly. He said systems that go to a central station also have a button to be able to test them.

Both fire marshals added that it’s important for people to ensure they know all the ways out of a home or building in the case of a hotel or motel. Their advice is to check for exits and for people to familiarize themselves with egress paths, including stairwells.

Mehrman added to make sure that windows do open. He said when he travels, he finds the emergency exits and counts the number of doors to the exit from his room.

“In a smoke condition in a hallway, you’re going to be down on the floor crawling to get to the exit, and that way you can count the number of doors,” Mehrman said.

When visiting hotels and motels, he also checks emergency exit doors to ensure they aren’t locked, and stairwells lead to a door outside the building.

Regarding vacationing at a private home, Mehrman said, remember not all homes are set up the same.

“Some of these houses are very large,” he said. “You don’t know what the owner has done to the house. They may have sectioned off part of it because they don’t want people in that part of the house.”

He added not to be afraid to escape from a second-floor window as the fall is not as far as it looks, especially if one dangles from the window first.

Most of all, Mehrman said always be aware that there should be a meeting spot for everyone, and people should not run back in to save anyone or pets. Fire victims also should wait until they escape the fire before calling 911.

“Evacuating everybody is the most important thing,” he said.

Fire Prevention Day for the Port Jefferson Fire Department is Oct. 16. File photo

In recognition of National Fire Prevention Week, the Port Jefferson Fire Department will host its annual Fire Prevention Open House Sunday, Oct. 16, from 12 to 3 p.m.

The event will be held at the Port Jefferson Fire Department located at 115 Maple Place, Port Jefferson.

Residents in the Port Jeff community will have a chance to take an up-close look at the department’s fire fighting equipment, practice the proper way to exit a burning building and learn about the important aspects of being a firefighter, all through hands-on interactive experiences.

In addition, flu shots will be available thanks to a cooperative effort between state Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson) and Walgreens.

For more information call 631-473-8910.

The Red Cross is highlighting Joe and Lori-Ann Spaccarelli in honor of National Volunteer Week. Photo from Donna Nicholls

The Spaccarelli siblings don’t argue often. But when they do, it’s about preparing people for calamities like house fires through their fire safety programs at the Red Cross.

Last year, Joe Spaccarelli joined the Red Cross after seven children died in a house fire in Midwood, Brooklyn, in March 2015. According to Spaccarelli, the family’s hot plate malfunctioned and the only working smoke alarm was in the basement of the home. The incident was enough to make Spaccarelli quit his job of 27-years to work full-time for the Red Cross as a lead for its home fire safety program. Spaccarelli started volunteering for the Red Cross during Superstorm Sandy, in 2012.

“When that happened, I lifted an eyebrow going ‘huh, it must be a very worthy cause,’” said Lori-Ann, Spaccarelli’s younger sister, about her brother quitting his job to work for the Red Cross.

Lori-Ann Spaccarelli, of Farmingdale, joined the organization as a volunteer last year. She became one of the Long Island volunteer leads for the Home Fire Safety program, after her brother left the position in September to be the program director for Get Alarmed New York City. The Red Cross volunteer and elementary school art teacher in Syosset school district said she couldn’t “say no” to helping a program that her brother loved.

The Red Cross’s Home Fire Safety and Get Alarmed New York City programs don’t only focus on educating people about fire safety and the importance of fire and smoke alarms. Volunteers also install smoke alarms free of charge. The fire safety program aims to reduce home fire-related deaths by 25 percent.

The goal of Get Alarmed NYC is to establish 100,000 smoke alarms in the NYC region within two years. The siblings said they install three to four alarms per home. While they said some homes don’t have an alarm at all, other homes don’t always have one that is working.

“When we go into a lot of these homes, it’s either that the smoke detectors aren’t working, the batteries are missing or the batteries are low,” Joe Spaccarelli said. “It beeps, they take the battery out.”

Spaccarelli added that some residents never get a chance to replace the batteries. Forty percent of the time, fire-related deaths and injuries occur when there isn’t a working alarm in the residence. According to Red Cross CEO Elizabeth Barker, the Red Cross responds nationally to around 70,000 home fires a year. Home fire preparedness isn’t simply about adding smoke detectors and informing people about escape plans, but also about educating young children.

Lori-Ann Spaccarelli started the Pillowcase Project in her school. The program teaches young kids how to get out and cope with home fires and other hazardous. The Disney-sponsored program began after Hurricane Katrina, when college students in Louisiana packed various items in their pillowcases before heading to a shelter.

According to the Spaccarellis, the program puts children at ease during a tragedy, which also helps parents remain calm.

“The children exiting those [Pillowcase Project] lessons come out with much more confidence and conviction when they go home to let their parents know,” Joe Spaccarelli said. “They know what to do and they’re comfortable.”

While the duo didn’t have any prior experience running these kinds of programs, helping others is in their blood.

Growing up, the Spaccarellis said their parents regularly gave back to their community, which encouraged the siblings to help others as well.

For the siblings, helping others is a family affair and Barker said the pair brings that same vibe to the Red Cross.

“Usually what I have is a husband-wife duo,” Barker said. “It’s been really fun to have this brother-sister dynamic to work with. It makes it feel more like a family.”