Fire deaths in Finland Matti Orrainen Bled Slovenia

SPEK’s services Accident prevention Fire brigade services Preparedness and civil protection

3 Government Programme on Internal Security Objective: Finland will be the safest country in Europe in year 2015 MattiO

Action programme for promoting home fire safety - Priority measures 1) Legislation on RIP cigarettes –1 April ) Establishing new procedures for investigating all fires that caused serious injuries –Focus on fire deaths and major fires 3) Higher fire safety standards for sheltered housing and assisted living –Focus area in the current Internal Security Programme 4) Requirement of mains-operated smoke alarms in new dwellings –Revision of Building Code February 2009

Challenges in the field of fire and accident prevention Ageing population Increasing use of alcohol and drugs Assisted living instead of care homes Increasing number of one person households  Number of home and leisure accidents continues to increase Photos: Helsinki Rescue Services MattiO

MattiO6

Smoke detectors required in all homes from September 2000 No smoke alarm in 38% of residential fires (years )

Fire safer cigarettes (RIP-cigarettes) RIP - Reduced Ignition Propensity Cigarettes that are less likely to ignite upholstered furniture and bedding Helps to reduce injuries and property damage from fires caused by smouldering cigarettes MattiO

Smoking related fires in Finland 6 % of all fires (950 fires) 10 % of forest fires (400 fires) 30–40 % of accidental fire deaths (25–35 casualties) –cause of fire smoking in bed –over 50 % alcohol related –over 30 % had disabilities or restricted mobility Direct property damage over 6 million euros Expected results –at least 10–15 lives saved every year –20 % reduction in number of cigarette fires –25 % reduction in direct property damage Photo: Police archives

Results of Effectiveness (Rip cigarettes) ( ) average 28/year fire deaths caused by smoking (2010) 16/year The number of fires reduced 12% The number of building fires reduced 5% MattiO 11

12 Evacuation safety of hospitals, nursing care, sheltered housing and assisted living “Responsible person” makes a safety assessment before premises are occupied and reviews it at least every three years Local rescue authority controls whether the safety precautions are adequate and when necessary requires improvements –Additional personnel, retroactive fitting of automatic fire sprinkler systems, etc MattiO

Higher fire safety standards for sheltered housing and assisted living - Simple fire risk assessment CFPA E Guideline No 6:2004 Fire safety in residential homes for the elderly

MattiO Sprinkler saved human lives Oulu, wood frame block of flats Jyväskylä, hotel Vammala, Sastamala hospital Kangasala, service home for elderly people Orivesi, service home for elderly people Jyväskylä, jail in police station Kotka, care home Kuopio, jail in police station Jyväskylä, jain in police station Rovaniemi, care home Lahti, boarding house for students Helsinki, Cirrus (2 ), high rise building 14

Life-threatening conditions The fire continues spreading Preliminary fire extinguishing won’t help Structural solutions don’t work No automatic fire extinguishing system Fire brigade arrives too late or fails in extinguishing in time A person won’t leave the premisses or is not rescued in time Rescue won’t succeed The victim is alone Present or near-by occupants have no time or possibility to rescue The fire brigade can’t manage the task in time Exit by him/herself fails Technical barrier lack of escape routes routes too narrow routes locked Restriction in functional capacity mobility perception understanding Delay in perception or response lack of smoke detector failed situation assesment FIRE DEATH Fire death mechanism SPRINKLER WORKS A FIRE BREAKS OUT Prevention failed because of  negligence  technical failure  human factor MattiO 15

For a safer tomorrow