Recent cutbacks to fire department budgets across the country
have increased the importance of modern household and commercial
fire prevention techniques and devices. A new 2012 code proposed
for the International Fuel and Gas Codes looks to provide
inexpensive, automatic thermal gas shutoffs for gas appliances,
reports TECO Americas. These thermal shutoff devices stop the
flow of natural, propane, and butane gases in the event of a
fire, decreasing the likelihood of death, injury, or property
damage. The 2008 recession and subsequent weak economy have
impaired many communities' abilities to provide basic civil
services to their residents. State and municipal budget cuts
have forced fire departments and emergency medical services
(EMS) to drastically cut staff and engines, institute "rolling
brownouts," and permanently shut down stations. These cuts have
led to longer response times, and, in too many cases, have
proven deadly. According to a report posted on the US Homeland
Security's US Fire Administration W