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UL Update: Close Before You Doze

by Steve Schmit, Program Manager, UL LLC

UL is honored to count TMA as a partner in our mission to create safe living and working environments for people. We work together most directly through our Certificate Service Program, which delivers the benefits of standards compliant alarm service to communities and businesses. At the same time in communities where UL Fire Alarm Certificates are required, your UL Certification gives you access to a unique and valuable market.

Educating the community and those responsible for ensuring public safety is key to creating these kinds of markets. We see many opportunities to work together on community education in order to advance both of our mutual public safety and business objectives.

In that spirit, this month we highlight UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute’s “Close Before You Doze” campaign, our most recent public safety outreach program. The campaign package includes:

  • A critical safety message about contemporary home fires
  • A video that dramatically illustrates the effects of closed vs open bedroom doors in home fires
  • A toolbox of community & first responder resources

While UL’s outreach has touched a wide audience (8.5 million video views to date), there is still much work to do. We invite you, as partners in our mission, to consider bringing it to public safety officials in your markets. Alternatively, we would be delighted to talk about how you might use these materials in your own organization’s public service messaging. Either way, there is an opportunity to leverage the UL public safety message and brand to create a positive environment for discussion of UL Certificated alarm service.

Why “Close Before You Doze”?

  • 25 years ago, occupants typically had 17 minutes to evacuate a home after a smoke detector annunciation.
  • Today, typical safe egress time is about 3 minutes, due to the much higher use of synthetics in furnishings, floors, and fixtures.
  • Research tests show that simply closing a bedroom door can significantly extend the survivability time for people in the room.

Test results are clear and the message is simple. However, communicating with the public, in ways that inspire behavior changes, can be a challenge. To help, UL established a dedicated website to serve as a resource clearinghouse. Visit closeyourdoor.org to explore. Be sure to check the First Responders section as well. You could be the one that brings a turnkey public safety campaign to your market’s public safety partners.

About UL FSRIUL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) advances fire research knowledge and develops cutting edge, practical fire service education aimed at helping firefighters stay safe while more effectively protecting people and property. Working in partnership with the fire service, research departments, and agencies, UL FSRI executes firefighter research and makes the results widely available to the global fire community.