Group Tackles Hurricane Products That Don't Meet Florida Code
Southeast News • December 23, 2008
Bill Feeley, president of the International Hurricane Protection Association (IHPA), announced the formation of the Consumer Safety Task Force for Hurricane Protection Products, intended to act in ...
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Subject: RE: Window Film Protection
Posted On: August 26, 2009, 9:05 am CDT
Posted By: John Smith
Comment:
Shutter Lady:
By the way, why not post your real name on here? Too often, bloggers hide behind a made up name. The FBC shutter industry acts like bullies but then doesn't have the confidence to put their name out there. I do. Why don't you put your name and location on your next comment? Take ownership of what you say!
Now, regarding your query about how many deaths, there were 5 children in 2004 trapped behind plywood shutters, a priest in 2004 trapped behind metal corrugated shutters; a couple and their 2 dogs in 1998 trapped behind metal corrugated shutters; a 71 year old widow in 2007 killed on the first day of hurricane season in Hollywood, Florida, trapped behind metal corrugated shutters. In January of 2008, a lady in Loxahatchee, Florida died, trapped behind shutters--the article didn't say what kind, only that firefighters had to saw through them to reach her. Of the 1,000+ victims of Katrina, it is likely there were some that died when they were trapped behind their metal or wood shutters when the floodwaters rose. Someone knowledgeable about Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans would have good statistics on this. Plus, of course the many millions of dollars in destruction of homes and property caused in the above deaths.
It is not a surprise that you aren't aware of this. You probably never thought about safety when you went shopping for hurricane protection. It wasn't until Storm Stoppers was created in 2004 that homeowners became aware of the need for safe exit. The shutter industry just doesn't point out the glaring weakness in their alleged protection. The reason is most likely, the problem is too expensive to fix. As you point out, HOW can you make a shutter fasten to the house, but be able to open it from the inside? It doesn't make a lot of intuitive sense. However, lots of things work one way but not the other. Most gates open one way but don't swing the other way; there are things the size of a paperclip that hold rooms worth of information--they call them microchips; there's even a shirt they make that can stop a bullet, did you know? How can this be? The shirt is made of a fabric called Kevlar and is commonly known as a bullet proof vest.
All shutters should be made like Storm Stoppers---in that if there's an emergency, you should be able to open the window and push and escape. You should admit to yourself that that would be a good offering to a customer. However, first you have to overcome the FBC and Miami Dade industry. They don't want that as, in the words of Lee Iococca, SAFETY DOESN'T SELL. It is also too expensive for them to make metal shutters that can be opened from the inside. Not enough people have died yet is the real answer.
The next opportunity you have, go in a house protected by Code Approved shutters and ask yourself, "HOW WOULD I GET OUT IF I HAD TO?" If there is no solution, that is the problem you should be asking the shutter industry to solve. Talk to the relatives of the people that died in the hurricane shutter tragedies pages and ask them what they think of the need for removing all shutters from the inside.
The cheapest shutter the industry recommends is plywood, next up the chain is metal corrugated shutters. These are very very common. How do you get out in an emergency from each shutter type? The answer is YOU DON'T! The shutter industry will not preach safety, like Storm Stoppers, until enough people die and there is a public outcry. Read the firefighter comments in HURRICANE SHUTTER TRAGEDIES and then read the comments of the deceased' loved ones. Then, ask yourself, WHY ISN'T ONE DEATH TOO MANY, LET ALONE 9? Simple answer is....not enough people have died.
P.S. It is amusing to hear you write that you "acted as a customer" at a home show. Beyond not putting your name on your comment to the Insurance Journal, this is more evidence of how tough it must be for people to be honest, sign their name, be themselves, etc. Regardless, I doubt you spoke to a Storm Stoppers representative. No one that knows our company would ever be confused that our product is FBC or Miami Dade approved. Code approved products are expensive, hard to use and have contributed to many deaths in Florida---we would NEVER associate our good name and reputation with dangerous products like the FBC or Miami Dade Approved products are. Please see the IHPA at www.innhpa.com for more information on these Dangerous Products.
Subject: RE: Window Film Protection
By the way, why not post your real name on here? Too often, bloggers hide behind a made up name. The FBC shutter industry acts like bullies but then doesn't have the confidence to put their name out there. I do. Why don't you put your name and location on your next comment? Take ownership of what you say!
Now, regarding your query about how many deaths, there were 5 children in 2004 trapped behind plywood shutters, a priest in 2004 trapped behind metal corrugated shutters; a couple and their 2 dogs in 1998 trapped behind metal corrugated shutters; a 71 year old widow in 2007 killed on the first day of hurricane season in Hollywood, Florida, trapped behind metal corrugated shutters. In January of 2008, a lady in Loxahatchee, Florida died, trapped behind shutters--the article didn't say what kind, only that firefighters had to saw through them to reach her. Of the 1,000+ victims of Katrina, it is likely there were some that died when they were trapped behind their metal or wood shutters when the floodwaters rose. Someone knowledgeable about Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans would have good statistics on this. Plus, of course the many millions of dollars in destruction of homes and property caused in the above deaths.
It is not a surprise that you aren't aware of this. You probably never thought about safety when you went shopping for hurricane protection. It wasn't until Storm Stoppers was created in 2004 that homeowners became aware of the need for safe exit. The shutter industry just doesn't point out the glaring weakness in their alleged protection. The reason is most likely, the problem is too expensive to fix. As you point out, HOW can you make a shutter fasten to the house, but be able to open it from the inside? It doesn't make a lot of intuitive sense. However, lots of things work one way but not the other. Most gates open one way but don't swing the other way; there are things the size of a paperclip that hold rooms worth of information--they call them microchips; there's even a shirt they make that can stop a bullet, did you know? How can this be? The shirt is made of a fabric called Kevlar and is commonly known as a bullet proof vest.
All shutters should be made like Storm Stoppers---in that if there's an emergency, you should be able to open the window and push and escape. You should admit to yourself that that would be a good offering to a customer. However, first you have to overcome the FBC and Miami Dade industry. They don't want that as, in the words of Lee Iococca, SAFETY DOESN'T SELL. It is also too expensive for them to make metal shutters that can be opened from the inside. Not enough people have died yet is the real answer.
The next opportunity you have, go in a house protected by Code Approved shutters and ask yourself, "HOW WOULD I GET OUT IF I HAD TO?" If there is no solution, that is the problem you should be asking the shutter industry to solve. Talk to the relatives of the people that died in the hurricane shutter tragedies pages and ask them what they think of the need for removing all shutters from the inside.
The cheapest shutter the industry recommends is plywood, next up the chain is metal corrugated shutters. These are very very common. How do you get out in an emergency from each shutter type? The answer is YOU DON'T! The shutter industry will not preach safety, like Storm Stoppers, until enough people die and there is a public outcry. Read the firefighter comments in HURRICANE SHUTTER TRAGEDIES and then read the comments of the deceased' loved ones. Then, ask yourself, WHY ISN'T ONE DEATH TOO MANY, LET ALONE 9? Simple answer is....not enough people have died.
P.S. It is amusing to hear you write that you "acted as a customer" at a home show. Beyond not putting your name on your comment to the Insurance Journal, this is more evidence of how tough it must be for people to be honest, sign their name, be themselves, etc. Regardless, I doubt you spoke to a Storm Stoppers representative. No one that knows our company would ever be confused that our product is FBC or Miami Dade approved. Code approved products are expensive, hard to use and have contributed to many deaths in Florida---we would NEVER associate our good name and reputation with dangerous products like the FBC or Miami Dade Approved products are. Please see the IHPA at www.innhpa.com for more information on these Dangerous Products.