LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. –
Practicing dormitory fire safety doesn't have to be difficult.
Here are some fire safety tips provided by the 1st Civil Engineer Squadron Dorm Management Office and the 1st CES Fire Prevention Office.
An important fact to understand is the ratio of Airmen living in the dormitories to the number of noncommissioned officers assigned to dorm management. The ratio is 688 Airmen to just six NCOs.
"To check every dorm every day for broken smoke detectors is very hard to do," said Staff Sgt. Kevin Hummel, 1st CES dorm manager. "All Airmen are encouraged to report all problems to the dorm management staff."
According to Langley's Fire Prevention Office, people should change smoke detector batteries once a year as a minimum. Replacement batteries for dormitory smoke detectors are available at the dorm management office.
During a recent fire safety inspection, illegal items such as candles were found, smoke detectors were disabled, and 18 Airmen did not meet the required evacuation time when the fire alarm sounded.
To be proactive in fire prevention, Airmen should cooperate with the fire prevention office as they conduct standard fire alarm checks. These checks occur every six months and consist of checking for working alarms, exit lights and evacuation times.
"It's a requirement and responsibility for every Airman to respond to the fire alarm and exit the dorm as quick as possible," said Mr. Richard Pettyjohn, assistant fire chief of technical services for the fire prevention office. "Be alert; you never know when the alarm is the real thing."
Every Airman has multiple responsibilities at home and at work, and practicing fire safety is just one of these responsibilities.