The Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS) recently launched a new resource aimed at helping Fire Chiefs and fire departments address the risks associated with Home Oxygen Therapy (HOT).
This toolkit provides key safety recommendations, including the installation of thermal fuses on all devices that use home oxygen.
As reported by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), the toolkit is part of a broader initiative to enhance the safety of individuals relying on home oxygen and reduce fire-related deaths in homes across the United States.
According to the FLSS, approximately 1.5 million people in the U.S. use home oxygen.
However, up to 750,000 of these individuals continue to smoke while using the therapy, which poses a high fire risk.
Fire incidents involving home oxygen therapy remain concerning.
A death linked to home oxygen fires occurs every four days.
Additionally, data from the National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS) indicates that smoking causes 30% of U.S. fire deaths and 27% of home fires.
The toolkit aims to mitigate such incidents by encouraging fire departments to promote safer practices.
Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Home Medical Equipment (HME) providers play a significant role in distributing home oxygen to Medicare patients.
Four national companies serve between 600,000 and 800,000 patients, with 46% of providers reporting that they handle cases involving smoking-related incidents.
By raising awareness of these incidents, the FLSS hopes to promote better patient safety standards among providers, particularly when patients are at risk due to smoking habits while on home oxygen therapy.
Thermal fuses have been identified as a critical component in preventing fires related to home oxygen therapy.
When properly installed on home oxygen devices, thermal fuses can prevent catastrophic outcomes.
The toolkit encourages fire departments to prioritize the installation of these devices and to educate the public about their effectiveness.
Fire departments are being called upon to help raise awareness and to share the message that using thermal fuses could save lives.
The Fire & Life Safety Section (FLSS) has introduced a new toolkit designed to address the risks associated with Home Oxygen Therapy (HOT).
The toolkit highlights key issues such as the dangers posed by smoking while on home oxygen therapy, which affects up to 750,000 people in the U.S.
According to the FLSS, a death related to a home oxygen fire occurs every four days.
The toolkit also emphasizes the importance of installing thermal fuses on oxygen devices as a preventative measure.
Fire departments are encouraged to utilize this toolkit to increase awareness and improve safety practices among patients using home oxygen.
