Warehouse Fires Research

Important Article from the Norwich Bulletin from 2021 about volunteer fire resources in Northeastern Connecticut

https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/local/2021/10/21/fire-departments-connecticut-nation-struggle-find-volunteers/8423592002/

Facts about warehouse fires from the latest research from NFPA (National Fire Protection Association):

1. Warehouse Fires are Common: There were 1,400 warehouse fires in the USA in 2020. Warehouse fires are NOT uncommon (Warehouse Fire Safety, July 2022 NFPA). Indeed, with the expansion of warehousing in America they will continue to be a challenge based on the wide range of hazardous materials found in these buildings.

2. Warehouse Fire Profile is a Mismatch for Volunteer Fire Departments: 45% of the direct property damage found at warehouse fires come from fires that occur between midnight and 6 AM - the time when volunteer firefighters will be asleep (Source: Warehouse Structure Fires, July 2022, NFPA)

3. Mutual AID is Unreliable:  Reliance on Mutual AID does not work when there are dramatic declines in volunteer firefighters (Source: Norwich Bulletin article above). Moreover, the goal for fire departments is to arrive at a fire in 5 minutes or less. That is simply impossible with a volunteer fire department or even with mutual aid by adjoining towns also operated by volunteers in short supply.

4. Intentionally Caused Fires: 15% of warehouse fires are intentionally caused by either disgruntled workers (e.g., low wages, management-labor issues or as a technique to distract management to steal goods) or customers (.i.e., customers stealing goods from retail warehouses like Lowes and starting a fire to distract management) (Source: Warehouse Structure Fires, July 2022, NFPA).

5. Speculative buildings and Fire Prevention: Warehouses can't be properly designed for fire safety without specific hazard class details (Source: NFPA Warehouse Fire Safety Seminar, access March 22, 2023). Campanelli is requesting a blank check not only on the purpose of the warehouse or other industrial use but also on the fire hazards that could be created.