October 7, 2009

Fire Chief Craig Dye and the Kingsport Fire Department are pleased to announce a new Fire Safety Awareness Campaign.

October is Kingsport's Fire Prevention Month and the National Fire Protection Association theme this year is "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned!"

"Kingsport's Fire Prevention efforts have brought a safer lifestyle to our citizens. It has been 2 ½ years since we've had a fire death in Kingsport. That is almost unheard of in a city our size. The outstanding response of our engine crews, Fire and Life Safety Education in our elementary schools and with the public, utilization of our municipal television channel, cooperation with the local media, and inspection and enforcement, has combined to make Kingsport a much safer city. The soon opening of our new stations in Rock Springs and on Stone Drive will further enhance our capabilities to respond and protect our citizens in fire, medical and other emergencies." - Kingsport Fire Chief Craig Dye

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The 2009 Kingsport Fire Prevention Month Campaign consists of the following efforts:

Billboard Campaign:

The Kingsport Fire Department is again working with Lamar Advertising to provide billboards throughout the city with photographs provided by the Kingsport Times News of the KFD in action. The campaign reaches nearly 70,000 people per day.

Billboard locations:

1."Yard Sprinkler or Home Fire Sprinkler?" Center Street, Downtown Kingsport
2."Don't Get Burned" Fort Henry Drive near Summerville Road
3."Carry The Load!" N John B. Dennis.
4."Don't Put Your Family at Risk" West Stone Drive.

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Be a Home Escape Planning Star!

As part of The Great American Fire Drill, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Kingsport Fire Department are asking families, classrooms, and offices from across North America to videotape them planning and practicing their fire escape plans. Then upload your video to NFPA's page on YouTube @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEds9FSepVI  (choose "Post a video response" in the "Comments and Responses" area.

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Learn Not To Burn

The Kingsport Fire department in co-operation with the Kingsport City Schools teaches the NFPA's Learn Not to Burn program in the Elementary Schools.

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Information Campaign

During October, the KFD will be providing programming to the municipal Cable Channel 16 and PSA, and Fire Safety Fact information to local media outlets.

"Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned." This year's campaign focuses on ways to keep homes fire safe and prevent painful burns. Additionally, fire safety educators will be teaching local residents how to plan and practice escape from a home in case a fire occurs.

The statistics are staggering. Each year roughly 3,000 people die as a result of home fires and burns, and more than 200,000 individuals are seen in the nation's emergency rooms for burn injuries.

"The most common types of burn injuries result from fire or flame burns, scalds and contact burns," said Barry Brickey, Kingsport Fire Department's Public Education Officer. "Burns are painful and can result in serious scarring and even death. When we take extra caution in our homes to ensure that the curling iron is out of children's reach or pot handles are turned away from the edge of the stove, such injuries are entirely preventable. Keeping our homes safe from fire and preventing devastating burn injuries is a healthy change we can make happen."

By following simple safety rules, you can "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned."

*  Keep hot foods and liquids away from tables and counter edges so they cannot be pulled or knocked over.
*  Have a 3-foot "kid-free" zone around the stove.
*  Never hold a child in your arms while preparing hot food or drinking a hot beverage.
*  Be careful when using things that get hot such as curling irons, oven, irons, lamps, heaters.
*  Install tamper-resistant receptacles to prevent a child from sticking an object in the outlet.
*  Never leave a child alone in a room with a lit candle, portable heater, lit fireplace or stove, or where a hot appliance might be in use.
*  Wear short or close-fitting sleeves when cooking.
*  Set your hot water temperature no higher than 120 degrees.
*  Install anti-scald valves on shower heads and faucets.
*  Insist on home fire sprinklers for your family's safety.

Fire Prevention Week is actively supported by fire departments across the country. For 85 years, fire departments have observed Fire Prevention Week, making it the longest running public health and safety observance on record.

For more information about Fire Prevention or "Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned" visit www.firepreventionweek.org or contact Barry J Brickey, KFD Public Education Officer, Ph: 423-224-2820 or at brickey [at] kingsporttn [dot] gov

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