Ce UMfIES ANN AFETS NNT \ I Hi hE ie ttf Pid] v ( Bedding That Protects You While You Sleep (NAPSA)—Learning more about fire safety in the bedroom may help protect your family— especially the youngest members. Bedrooms are the second most commonlocation where homefires start. Each year, 20,800 fires begin in mattresses and bedding, causing 380 deaths and 2,200 injuries. Most mattress fires are started by children under 5 playing with lighters or matches. Mattress fires are the second-leading cause of fire deaths amongpreschoolers. A mattress fire can engulf an entire room in flames in under three minutes, making a safe exit impossible. Children who set mattress fires often try to hide them by covering them with blankets and bedding, thereby spreading the flame and putting them in danger. Most homeowners have no idea how flammable a mattress can be. That’s one reason the Consumer Product Safety Commission set a new safety standard, effective July 1, 2007, requiring all mattress sets manufactured or imported into the U.S. to be more flame resistant. However, there are millions whom the law will not help because many people are not ready to buy new mattresses. Fortunately, there’s now a more cost-effective alternative. Louisville Bedding Company, the world’s largest manufacturer of mattress pads, has invented a flame-resistant mattress pad and box spring cover called the FireDefender A flame-resistant mattress pad and box spring cover could save your life and prevent the spread of fire throughout your home. Sleep System. The FireDefender Sleep System was created to give existing mat- tress sets a level of protection similar to the requirements of the new CPSC standards at a more reasonable cost. The system prevents mattress flashover for up to thirty minutes, giving families more time to escape their homessafely andfirefighters more time to control the blaze. To help educate families about fire safety, Louisville Bedding Company has launched an informative national television and Internet campaign. Covered topics include bedroom fires, mattress fires, fires caused by children and somebasic safetytips. These tips can be downloaded at www.firedefendersystem.com.
