About a month ago, we announced that we had added international fire code (IFC) training to our advanced solar installation module, PV301.
And for the past few weeks, we’ve blogged regularly about the upcoming (and our first-ever) US Solar Jamaica Alternative Energy Expo, held from April 15 to April 16 at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.
Those of you who follow this blog already know that the Pegasus was not the original location for this exciting 2-day event. The Wyndham Hotel was supposed to host us, but due to a recent fire that essentially demolished the building, we had to change venues.
Thankfully, there were no deaths or super serious injuries. 2 firefighters suffered 3rd degree burns, but all 240 rooms were safely evacuated without incident.
Now you might be wondering what the connection is.
After all, the fire started in the kitchen and everyone made it out safely. The Wyndham Hotel didn’t even have solar panels installed. There’s no cautionary tale or takeaway.
You’re right. The Wyndham didn’t have solar (although they should have – all hotels should have solar installed – especially in a country like Jamaica). And everyone did make it out safely.
So what’s the big deal?
Well, there’s no cautionary tale, per se. But this story illustrates how incredibly unpredictable fires are. We tend to think of them as unfortunate, freak accidents that happen in movies, newspapers, or to friends of friends of friends.
But fires can happen anytime and anywhere.
At USSolar Institute we never imagined that we’d have to frantically call up hundreds of sponsors, exhibitors, and attendees to alert them of the venue change. And I’m positive that the Wyndham’s guests never thought that their vacation would go up in smoke.
What this story also illustrates is the importance of proper fire safety and training. Successfully evacuating 240 rooms in the middle of the night doesn’t happen by accident. The Wyndham staff was expertly trained – and thank goodness they were.
Obviously, solar installation and fire code training are a natural fit (especially when shoddy workmanship directly leads to fires). But I don’t think it’s a huge leap to connect our recently introduced fire code training to a burning hotel that didn’t even have solar installed.
Yes – we provide this fire safety training within the context of installing solar, but the skills and knowledge are applicable to anyone who has ever set foot in a building at any time – i.e. everyone.
So you don’t just learn about fire code safety as a solar PV installer. You also learn about:
- Building codes & regulatory guidelines
- Emergency planning and evacuations
- System checks and fire prevention
These areas are relevant no matter who you are. They just happen to be even more relevant if you work in construction, solar installation, electrical engineering – or hospitality.
Fire Safety is important for everyone.