“A candle left burning in a bathroom set a Longview apartment building ablaze Friday night, but a sprinkler system quickly doused the fire before it could cause much damage, according to the Longview Fire Department.” This was the first sentence in a TDN.com online article covering a fire in an apartment building fitted with fire sprinklers.
Although this fire did not occur in a single family home, highlighting fire sprinkler saves in any residential environment may help to spread the word about the importance of the home fire sprinkler requirement in all new homes.
The article states, “no one was injured in the blaze”; highlighting the benefits of fire sprinklers in protecting occupants against death and injury from fire. Additionally, the article states that smoke and water damage “amounted to a loss of about $5,000.” Most importantly, “the occupants were able to continue living in the apartment.”
Kudos to Battalion Chief Brian Smith who issued a statement that ‘the building's occupants "may owe their lives to the landlord's investment in sprinklers.”
Making sure that the right “soundbite” is provided to reporters, either on the scene or in a press release after the fact, is extremely important. The article is quite short but powerful.
Everyone who may be called to serve as PIO on the scene of a fire must be prepared to answer media questions touting the role that fire sprinklers play in protecting life and property. Way to go Chief Smith and the Longview Fire Department!
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