As the holiday season draws near, the UConn Fire Department would like to remind everyone about the fire safety considerations with holidays decorations.
Holiday decorations in a clinical environment, and within all of the administrative buildings that support it, follow more stringent requirements than typical household decorations, due in large part to the patient safety risk from a fire, and due to the fire code requirements associated with public buildings. UConn Health maintains policy 02-027 regarding Holiday Decorations for this purpose, and the UConn Fire Department provides assistance to ensure that any decorations are safe and compliant with this policy.
Decorations should never contribute to an increase risk of fire or interfere with the ability for building fire protection features to limit a fire’s spread. Holiday lights should be of commercial grade only, and be hung carefully to limit damage, which could cause an electrical fire or electrocution. Live holiday trees and wreaths are not permitted, as the dry vegetation can become highly flammable. All of these considerations also apply to patient care rooms, and patients and their visitors should also be cognizant of the requirements if they are bringing decorative items.
For more information, please refer to the policy mentioned above, or contact the UConn Fire Department for more information.
For more information, contact: Lieutenant/Deputy Fire Marshal Daniel Volovski at daniel.volovski@uconn.edu