Crossville Fire Department earns achievement award

By Heather Mullinix / hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com

October 22, 2007 01:07 pm

— The Crossville Fire Department has been presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for 2006 by the Residential Fire Safety Institute. The award was announced by Roy L. Martin, director of the RFSI.
For 14 years, the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized the local fire prevention activities that contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. The Crossville Fire Department qualified for this award because it recorded zero fire deaths in structures during 2006.
"While this award is great, the best thing is knowing no one died in a fire," said Crossville Fire Chief Mike Turner.
Turner noted the Crossville Fire Department conducts year-round workshops with local businesses and civic organizations. During 2006, the department conducted 75 pubic education events to enhance fire safety in the community and local industries. The fire prevention officers also performed 111 fire and life safety inspections to ensure fire code compliance in the area. Free home and business fire safety inspections were conducted for several area residents.
Although residential fires in the U.S. account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths. The RFSI is committed to reducing that number. A total of 675 fire departments received the 2006 Life Safety Achievement Award.
"Experience tells us that fire prevention activity and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fires," said Martin. "Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention efforts and encourages them to continually improve those efforts."
The RFSI is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. Membership includes the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest in and commitment to residential fire safety.