Serta spreads the word about advantages of fire-resistant bedding
By David Perry -- Furniture Today, September 5, 2005
Hoffman Estates, Ill. — Serta officials are joining fire safety experts in warning Americans about the dangers of bedroom fires.
Serta developed its FireBlocker line of fire-resistant bedding, available nationally, to give consumers critical time to escape a bedroom fire. Serta is spreading the word through a public relations campaign that continues to gain momentum, the company says.
"We believe that consumers have a right to sleep on safer mattresses in their homes," said Bob Sherman, president of Serta International. "Time is life in a bedroom fire, and that's where FireBlocker technology comes in. It provides people with critical time to escape and call for help."
Fire safety officials say consumers don't think mattress fires are a problem.
"I've seen the results of mattress fires hundreds of times," said James Harmes, a fire safety expert and second vice president of the International Assn. of Fire Chiefs. "The common perception among people is that they won't have a mattress fire, or a fire in their bedrooms, so they take very few precautions. But these fires are a real danger. However, the good news is that new technology has been developed to help prevent tragedy."
Harmes added that "an unprotected mattress is an unnecessary risk and there are precautions people can take to make themselves much safer."
Like Sherman, Harmes said time is critical in surviving a bedroom fire.
"Every second counts when you're trying to evacuate your family during a house fire," Harmes said. "It's important to be prepared, so make sure you have a fire escape plan. That includes smoke alarms and open-flame resistant mattresses, both of which can give your family the critical time it needs to escape."
Serta said it began its rollout of FireBlocker-protected mattresses in December 2003, more than a year before California became the first state in the nation to mandate open-flame protection in bedding, which occurred on Jan. 1 of this year.
Serta's FireBlocker is a fire-barrier system made from a combination of natural and synthetic fibers "that help isolate the impact of a fire and resist its spread into the mattress," said Al Klancnik, Serta's group vice president for research and development. "Just as important," he added, "a FireBlocker mattress provides great comfort and peace-of-mind to the person who sleeps on it — and it is extremely affordable."
Serta said it has worked on the development of its FireBlocker technology for four years, "ensuring all of its mattresses are both comfortable and safe," according to the company.
