ANCHOR LEAD IN:
Source: National Fire Protection Agency
THINK YOU'RE SAFE DRIVING AROUND IN YOUR CAR? MAYBE.
SOME EXPERTS ARE NOW WARNING THAT SOME OF THE NEW EQUIPMENT THAT HELPS IN A CRASH CAN CONTRIBUTE TO OTHER, MAJOR SAFETY CONCERNS - LIKE FIRE!
BUT THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF.
HERE'S_______WITH A HEADS UP.

TRACK ONE Length: 10
WHEN MOST OF US THINK OF DEADLY FIRES, WE PICTURE BURNING BUILDINGS.
BUT ACCORDING TO SOME EXPERTS WE MAY BE DRIVING AROUND IN A FIRE TRAP WORSE THAN ANY HOME WE INHABIT...

SOT
Key @ : :11 Name Todd Hoffman Title: Executive Director, www.sceneoftheaccident.com
"There's actually more people killed in vehicle fires than apartment fires each year."

TRACK TWO Length: :07
source: http://www.nfpa.org/newsReleaseDetails.asp?categoryID=488&itemID=25376
IN FACT, A NEW STUDY SHOWS ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE BLAZES REPORTED LAST YEAR WAS IN A VEHICLE.... AND THEY ARE OFTEN FATAL.

TRACK THREE Length: 15
THESE DAYS MORE AND MORE VEHICLES ARE MADE WITH ULTRA STRONG MAGNESIUM FRAMES AND PLASTIC PARTS---INCLUDING GAS TANKS AND LINES.
AUTO SAFETY EXPERT TODD HOFFMAN SAYS THEY'RE IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES IN A CRASH BUT CAN PROVE HARMFUL IN CERTAIN SITUATIONS.

SOT
Key @ : :37 Name: Todd Hoffman Title: Executive Director, www.sceneoftheaccident.com
"Plastic has a lot of flexibility in it, which gives us a huge advantage in the actual accident. The problem is that it also melts in a fire."

TRACK FOUR LENGTH: :07
AND MAGNESIUM IS ALSO FLAMMABLE..
FIRE AND RESCUE CHIEF MICHAEL YOUNGBLOOD KNOWS FIRSTHAND HOW DEADLY A BURNING VEHICLE CAN BE...

SOT:
Key @ : :53 Name MICHAEL YOUNGBLOOD Title: MISSOURI CITY FIRE AND RESCUE DIVISION CHIEF
"Things went from a normal working fire to a fire that would have been un-survivable without our gear in a matter of just a few seconds."

TRACK FIVE Length: :09
THIS IS WHAT YOUNGBLOOD'S MASK AND REGULATOR LOOKED LIKE AFTER A CAR'S PLASTIC GAS TANK MELTED...TURNING A GARAGE HE WAS STANDING IN... INTO AN INFERNO...

SOT
Key @: 1:10 Name MICHAEL YOUNGBLOOD Title: MISSOURI CITY FIRE AND RESCUE DIVISION CHIEF
"Once it dumped the gas out into the room, it quickly became vaporized and that's what caused the room to flashover."

TRACK SIX Length: :06
SO, HOW CAN YOU STAY SAFE? AS USUAL, IT COMES DOWN TO AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION...

SOT
Length: :06 No Key - covered SOT Name: Todd Hoffman Title: Executive Director, www.sceneoftheaccident.com
"Most of the vehicle fires are caused because some people don't maintain their car properly."

TRACK SEVEN Length: :03
SO, IF YOU SEE A SPOT OF OIL ON YOUR DRIVEWAY, BE CAREFUL.

SOT
Key @ : 1:34 - QUICK! Name: Todd Hoffman Title: Executive Director, www.sceneoftheaccident.com
"If oil is dripping on your driveway it's also dripping on hot items such as your exhaust system which could ignite."

TRACK EIGHT Length: :09
AND IF YOUR CAR IS ON FIRE, DON'T TRY TO GO BACK IN OR CHECK UNDER THE HOOD. THAT LETS IN OXYGEN, WHICH CAN FUEL THE FLAMES.
AND THAT'S A HEADS UP.

ANCHOR TAG:
A 'TRIPLE A' SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE GROUP IS STUDYING THE ISSUE. THEY WILL BE HOLDING A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE WITH THE NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION ASSOCIATION NEXT MONTH DURING FIRE PREVENTION WEEK TO TALK ABOUT VEHICLE FIRES...
MEANWHILE, TODD HOFFMAN TRAVELS THE COUNTRY TRAINING FIREFIGHTERS ABOUT HOW TO STAY SAFE.

SOURCES

Todd Hoffman
hoffman@ev1.net
713-553-6279
http://sceneoftheaccident.com

Todd Hoffman formed Scene Of The Accident, Inc. as a non profit 501(c)3 corporation in 2005. He has been in the automotive field for over thirty years. He is considered an automobile expert by both the Automotive and Insurance Industries. Todd has spent the last six years traveling around the country and training Automobile Technicians and Insurance Appraisers in vehicle construction and repair procedures.

Todd has received the I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) Instructor Of The Year award. He also received the 2004 I-CAR Chairman's Award, and the 2004 National Auto Body Councils coveted PRIDE award. Todd has also received numerous citations and awards from Fire Departments and Municipalities from across the country.

Todd writes articles for many national trade magazines. Todd was recently published in Fire Chief Magazine which is distributed to fire departments world-wide. Todd is also called upon by many radio, television and print media for information and statements for news stories and commentaries.

Todd became involved with the Emergency Services in 2001 when he was asked to present information on airbags and hybrid vehicles to a local volunteer fire department. The night Todd arrived for his presentation he found over two hundred volunteer firefighters in attendance. Todd realized the need for safety training and immediately began researching how he could use the information he possessed to help our Emergency Personnel stay safe and help save lives.

Todd spent the next 4 years working closely with Emergency and Automotive Experts to develop new procedures that would help reduce the time spent at the scene of the accident freeing trapped accident victims. Todd learned about the "Golden Hour" which is from the time the 911 call is placed until the patient is in the hands of the medical team at the hospital. For every second past this critical 60 minutes, the patient's chances of survival are greatly reduced.