Everything you want to know about smoking pipes


 

Homeowners Insurance - Fire Prevention Tips

The National Fire Protection Association, airon  furnace  stove.
nonprofit organization devoted to fire
safety, states in its September 2007 reportToday the National Fire Protection
that U.S. fire departments responded toAssociation, the U.S. Fire Administration,
1,642,500 fires in 2006. That is one firelocal fire departments, and schools are
every  19.2  seconds.working to prevent fires. Although the number
of fires increased 2.5 percent in 2006, the
The damage from fire is heartbreaking. Innumber of civilian fire deaths decreased a
2006, fire claimed some 3,245 civilian livesdramatic 11.7 percent, the lowest total since
and resulted in more than $11 billion inthe NFPA started using its current survey
direct property loss. That puts fires aheadmethodology in 1977-78. The biggest
of hurricanes ($5.4 billion a year), floodsimprovements occurred in residential safety.
($5.2 billion a year), and earthquakes ($4.4The number of civilians who died in
billion a year) for direct annual losses. Theresidential fires declined 14.2 percent
U.S. Fire Administration, a federal agency,overall, to 2,620. The number of people who
reports that the indirect costs ofdied in one- and two-story homes declined
fires-including medical expenses, lost16.1 percent. Amazingly, residential fire
business, temporary lodging, anddeaths are down 57 percent from the all-time
psychological damage may be ten times largerhigh  of  6,015  reported  in  1978.
than the direct costs. No wonder fire
insurance is the central feature ofThe one of the biggest reasons for the change
homeowners  insurance.in fire-related deaths has been the decline
in the prevalence of smoking. According to
Fire insurance was the first form ofthe Centers for Disease Control, the
homeowners insurance. It was the brainchildprevalence of smoking among adults has
of Nicholas Barbon, an English physician,declined from 42 percent in 1965 to 20.8
economist, and businessman who helped withpercent in 2006. Technology has also had a
the rebuilding efforts after the Great Firehuge impact on residential fires. Smoke
of London in 1666, which had destroyed moredetectors, upholstery and mattresses that are
than 13,000 homes. He began to offer fireresistant to cigarette ignitions,
insurance in 1667. In 1680 he foundedchild-resistant cigarette lighters, and
London's first fire brigade, designed toreduced ignition cigarettes have all
prevent another disaster and, of course,contributed to the decline in residential
minimize the risk to his insurance operation.fire  fatalities.
The first American insurance company, foundedTo reduce fires further, the National Fire
in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1732, alsoProtection Association, a nonprofit provider
offered fire insurance. Inventor, printer,of fire safety information, recommends five
entrepreneur, and signer of the Declarationstrategies:
of Independence Benjamin Franklin helped
popularize fire insurance by introducing1) More and better fire safety education,
perpetual insurance in 1752 through theincluding  common  causes of fatal home fires
Philadelphia Contributionship for the
Insurance of Houses from Loss by Fire. With2)  Increased  use  of  smoke  detectors
perpetual insurance, the insured makes a
one-time deposit with the insurance company.3)  Wider  use  of  residential  sprinklers
In return, the insurer promises to pay any
claims for fire loss in perpetuity. If the4) Additional ways home products fire
policy is cancelled, the insurer returns theresistant
entire premium to the insured. For the model
to work, the insurer must earn enough of a5) Address the fire safety needs of high-risk
return on the deposits to pay for losses andgroups, including the young, older adults,
operations.and  the  poor
Following the model of Barbon's Fire Office,Despite the gains that have been made, fire
Franklin's company sought to minimize lossesremains a leading killer, especially of the
through fire prevention. The company alsoold, the young, and the poor. Several of the
followed strict underwriting guidelines,steps that can prevent fires are low cost and
refusing to insure wood-frame homes and othereasy to do, such as installing smoke
buildings that posed fire risks. Franklindetectors, and making sure existing ones have
also invented several items to reduce thecharged batteries. The cost/benefit ratio
risk of fire, including the lightning rod andcould not be higher.



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