Water Damage & Flooded Basement Restoration Services

Fire Damage in Hospitals

By the RestorationSOS Educational Staff

The number of incidents of fires occurring in hospitals has seen a marked decline over the last few decades, the result of improvements in hospital construction, electrical wiring, and better control of flammable gases. Hospital staffs are also better trained to handle a fire emergency, able to use fire extinguishing equipment as well as overseeing any evacuation that may need to happen.

Fires are especially serious threats in hospitals when they do happen, namely because of the amount of flammable materials that may be present, as well as the number of patients who may be unable to move and get out of the path of a fire as rapidly as they need to. Most hospital fires start in the kitchen, and may be inflamed by the presence of rags, towels, or hospital gowns.

There are also an inordinately high number of electrical appliances and devices found in the average hospital, which increases the likelihood for a short or burnout, prime causes for electrical fires. The presence of heat, fuel, and oxygen acts as an excellent conduit for fire to spread within a hospital setting.

Fire Protection in Hospitals

Today's hospitals are better protected against fire and better prepared to handle it than at any point in our history. Most hospitals are equipped with fire alarms, as well as fire suppression systems designed to keep the fire contained in one area of the hospital. Minimizing the spread of the fire obviously minimizes the damage. Hospital staffs are well trained on evacuation procedures to protect patients from any fire that may occur.

Many newer hospitals also have fire doors installed, with automatic closing mechanisms designed to trigger them when a given amount of smoke or heat is detected. In addition, fire safety standards have been improved considerably, resulting in far more fire-resistant construction. Even now, new efforts, standards, and procedures are being put into place as a means of continually improving the hospital's ability to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to fire prevention and safety. This is especially true when it comes to the room where the fire initially started. Sprinkler systems are constantly being improved upon, designed to trigger in a given area where fire is detected, hopefully preventing it from spreading to other areas.

A Restoration Company's Role in Hospital Fire Damage

Certified water restoration companies are equipped with the technicians and equipment to handle even the largest scale fire damage problems in hospitals or other care facilities. They can be onsite within the hour and offer a complete range of restoration services designed to repair the damage and restore the facility to its pre-loss condition.

In any fire damage scenario, time is of the essence, and with hospitals this is especially true. With patient records, X-rays, and other vital documents hanging in the balance, it is important that the restoration company in question be able to properly handle, repair, and restore those items with the utmost care.

Learn More about Fire Damages in Hospitals in this Video: