So you know what the "Fire" part of Redline Fire and Safety is all about, right? Fire protection and, hopefully, prevention by inspecting your fire extinguishers, teaching you how to use them, and instructing you in proper fire practices. 

But what about the "Safety" portion of our name?

Maybe you haven't discovered yet that Redline can fully equip you to save a life.

Of course, we can teach you CPR. This is a first-line defense in case of most medical emergencies. CPR manually simulates the pumping of a heart. Most importantly, it can keep the blood flowing  to prevent damage to critical organs until medical assistance arrives. In fact, if you have no specialized equipment, CPR is the only way to help.

In contrast, an AED can take over the good work that CPR begins, sensing the heart's rhythms and electrically shocking the heart to restore a normal heartbeat.

So, of course, two is always better than one, right?

Generally, yes. This is where AEDs come in. The American Heart Association notes that survival rates from cardiac arrests that occur outside of hospitals nearly double when AED defibrillators are administered in addition to CPR. AEDs can get the heart beating again, helping to prevent brain damage or even death.

That's also where Redline comes in.

Redline Fire and Safety has created an array of options that includes everything you need to protect your employees and your customers, from wall-mounted device cabinets to portable packs, plus the training to use them effectively when minutes count. We also help you handle other emergencies with our bleeding and airway evacuation kits.

Lives saved.

While we provide in-person fire protection and training services throughout Northeast Ohio, we ship our products to customers across the United States, ensuring businesses everywhere have access to trusted safety equipment. And we can do remote training to get you up to speed on the kits we offer. That's what's behind the 'Safety' in our name.

Find out more. Contact us for your customized solution.

Over here in the Redline family, we have a few princesses. And like all littles, they like to wear their princess dresses all the time. It's not uncommon for Elsa to show up for lunch, or Moana to be tearing around the backyard with Dad. And we're here for it!

Now that the holiday season is here, we're thinking extra hard about things like this, because candles and fireplaces, and those gowns can be flowing, and while somewhat safer due to the inherent properties of polyester material, will not completely resist flame.

Yikes! That got dark fast.

But stay with me here.

Flame-retardant children's clothing-- in particular, pajamas, arose out of economic necessity. In 1800s England, "flannelette", a cheap substitute for naturally flame-resistant wool, became popular due to its affordability for budget-minded parents. The unintended consequences, though, resulted in tragedy when children got too close to a major heat or light source of the time, like a fireplace, candle, or kerosene lamp.

The US didn't react to the situation until 1953, after an epidemic of post-war rayon materials catching fire. It was then that our government mandated flame-retardants in children's pajamas. Although this saved lives, it came at a price. 

By the late 70s, environmental concerns began surfacing, and flame-retardant toxic chemicals were removed from clothing. Manufacturers responded with new standards: tight-fitting pajamas with no flame-retardant chemicals, made with fabrics with properties that provide greater safety. Because the fabric lies close to the skin, it allows less oxygen to feed any flames. And because of the tight fit, the fabric is less likely to come into contact with a flame. As well, the molecular structure of materials like polyester allows the fabric to fall away from the skin as it melts, allowing more time to react.

The last thing we want to do over here is to dampen your holiday spirits with thoughts of what could happen. But key to what Redline offers is preparedness, which starts with awareness. Unless they fit tightly and are made of material with safety features like polyester, those gowns aren't designed for sleeping. Running around the yard is probably okay, but make sure the flowy bits stay far away from moving machinery, playsets, or anything they could get caught in.

And as a general rule, you should always have fire extinguishers rated for purpose available and fully charged at strategic points around your home or business. Oh, yes, and working smoke detectors. Even if they're  hard-wired, please test them periodically, and replace batteries as needed.

Let's pull it back from the edge a bit here and focus on the joy. From the Redline family to yours, we wish you a glorious holiday season and an abundant new year. And as long as you're making resolutions, resolve to contact us for more information on fire safety and emergency preparedness.

Image: Freepik

Ever heard the term 'thermal runaway'?

If you have an overly active sense of humor (as I do), you might be picturing a cartoon character (like Reddy Kilowatt) hitchhiking on the side of the road.

But no-- a thermal runaway is not nearly as innocuous as a cute little corporate icon meant to teach electrical safety. Thermal runaway is actually  a rather dangerous failure that results from some sort of damage to an item with an internal power source, like a lithium battery.

So, like your impact wrench? If you drop it and damage it, let it overheat or charge too long, if you're using inferior-quality batteries or chargers, or if there's some sort of internal flaw, you could see thermal runaway in action. You might get a flash of ignition with  intense heat of up to 1000° C, and/or a catastrophic explosion.

What's worse, even if you do manage to put out the blaze, the fire could result in the release of toxic gasses, or run the risk of re-ignition later, after the shop is closed or you've shut the garage door for the night.

Of course, prevention is the best cure. So even though you're  obsessed with installing that modded exhaust stack on your project car, or you're racing to finish a construction job before the next contactor's scheduled to start, there's no excuse for taking shortcuts-- or cutting corners. Make sure you're not leaving your tools on their chargers too long. Make sure you're using high-quality chargers and batteries (NOT after-market ones!). And if you do drop that tool from a rooftop onto the concrete below? Ehhh, it's toast. Figuratively AND literally. Don't try to fix it.

At Redline Fire and Safety, prevention is always our first goal. So whether you need to install some extinguishers in your shop or garage, or (if you already have them) get them inspected-- or if you need to know how to respond in an emergency, we've got you covered. From sales, service, installation and training, check out our services here. And be prepared to do your best work ever.

Image: Freepik