Fire Prevention Week Kickoff Set for Bicentennial Mall State Park on Oct. 6
NASHVILLE –The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is kicking off National Fire Prevention Week (October 8-14) with an annual safety event on Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park in downtown Nashville to increase fire safety awareness among Tennesseans.
To officially launch Fire Prevention Week, the SFMO is partnering with several Tennessee fire departments, the Nashville Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Tennessee Division of Forestry, and the Tennessee Fire Service & Codes Enforcement Academy (TFACA) to focus on fire safety education. The event will feature live demonstrations, new and antique fire trucks, free giveaways for all ages, and Sparky the Fire Dog and Booster the Rooster.
“This annual event brings together fire service professionals, adults and children for a common goal of fire safety,” said State Fire Marshal and Tennessee Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “Education is a key part of continuing to reduce the loss of life and property in Tennessee so we look forward to sharing life-saving information with the public.”
The event ties into the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) nationwide theme of “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” which encourages all households to develop a home fire escape plan together and practice it. A home escape plan includes working smoke alarms on every level of the home, in every bedroom, and near all sleeping areas. It also includes two ways out of every room, usually a door and a window, with a clear path to an outside meeting place (like a tree, light pole, or mailbox) that’s a safe distance from the home.
According to NFPA, in a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Having a home fire escape plan helps ensure that everyone in the household knows how to use that small window of time wisely.
“Developing and practicing a home escape plan is like building muscle memory,” said TDCI Deputy Commissioner Gary West. “That pre-planning is what everyone will draw upon to snap into action and escape as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”
Who: SFMO, Alcoa Fire Department (FD), Ashland City FD, Goodlettsville FD, Nashville FD, Pleasant View FD, Oak Ridge FD, Red Cross, Tennessee Division of Forestry, and the Tennessee Fire Service & Codes Enforcement Academy.
What: 2017 Fire Prevention Week Kick-off Event
When: 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (CT) Friday, Oct. 6, 2017 (weather permitting).
Where: Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park Plaza at 600 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, Tennessee 37243. Site includes convenient bus drop-off area and picnic tables.
Contact: For more event information, contact Community Risk Reduction Educator Alex Daugherty at 615-574-0240.
To learn more about home fire escape planning and the “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!” message, visit NFPA’s website at www.firepreventionweek.org.
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