Christmas is a great time for people spend quality time with friends and family. However, it is also a dangerous time when it comes to fires. Arriving in the middle of winter, many people like to light fires in the fireplace and burn candles. Additionally, electrical problems have the ability to create house fires through the many lights people hang on their homes and Christmas trees. These fire risks make Christmas time a busy one for firefighters who are called to extinguish these blazes. To keep the residents of these homes safe, as well as themselves, firefighters depend on the interoperability of P25 radios for protection.
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 210 home fires per year that were caused by Christmas trees between 2010 and 2014. These fires resulted in $16.2 million of direct property damage. In a quarter of these fires, an open flame, such as a candle, was too close to the tree. While these fires are not as common as other sources of fire, they are more likely to cause fatalities.
Between 2009 and 2013, fire departments in the United States responded to an estimated average of 860 home fires per year that were caused by decorations excluding Christmas trees. These fires resulted in $13.4 million of direct property damage. One-fifth of these fires started in the kitchen and one out of six started in a living room, family room, or den.
Given the number of flammable items that are often used for decoration during Christmas time, these fires can quickly get out of hand. To ensure the safety of the emergency personnel and the residents of the home, firefighters must work quickly to get the blaze under control. This takes a tremendous amount of teamwork and communication. These departments depend on P25 radios provided by RELM Wireless to keep them safe during these harrowing events.