Kingsport Fire Department and The City of Kingsport marks 6 years without a fire death
KINGSPORT -‚ The Kingsport Fire Department and the City of Kingsport have reached a significant milestone today April 3, 2013. Kingsport marks six years without a fire death in the city.
We have continued to increase the level of safety throughout the City of Kingsport through the combined efforts of quick responding highly trained firefighters, regular fire inspections and aggressive fire and life safety education programs.‚ Public Education Officer Barry Brickey stated.‚ Adding new fire stations, engines and personnel have also decreased our response times.
Today the KFD will be working with a local Boy Scouts to begin canvassing high fire risk neighborhoods that are part of the recent Smoke Alarm Grant. Many of the residents in these neighborhoods will be receiving Dual Sensor Smoke Alarms or Batteries for their homes to help with their fire protection.
The Kingsport Fire Department serves a population of over 50,000 and responded to 8,038 incidents in 2012 setting a record for call volume.
The KFD also did not have any commercial building fires in 2012.
The Fire Marshals office recorded 3,845 inspections in 2012. There were 48,598 adults and children participated in Kingsport Fire Departments Fire Prevention presentations and activities last year.‚ The Kingsport Fire Department presents the NFPAs Learn Not To Burn program in each of the Citys Elementary Schools.‚ In 2011 KFD began the NFPAs Remembering When Program with the Kingsport Senior Center teaching fall and fire safety.
The following are NFPAs Top Fire Safety Tips:
- Watch your cooking: Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling, or broiling bard. If you must leave, even for a short time, turn off the stove.
- Give space heaters space: Keep fixed and portable space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn. Turn off heaters when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Smoke outside: Ask smokers to smoke outside. Have sturdy, deep ashtrays for smokers.
- Keep matches and lighters out of reach: Keep matches and lighters up high, out of the reach of children, preferably in a cabinet with a child lock.
- Inspect electrical cords: Replace cords that are cracked, damaged, have broken plugs, or have loose connections.
- Be careful when using candles: Keep candles at least one bart from anything that can burn. Blow out candles when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Have a home fire escape plan: Make a home fire escape plan and practice it at least twice a year.
- Install smoke alarms: Install dual sensor smoke alarms on every level of your home, inside bedrooms and outside sleeping areas. Interconnect smoke alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
- Test smoke alarms: Test smoke alarms at least once a month and replace conventional batteries once a year or when the alarm chirps to tell you the battery is low. Replace any smoke alarm that is more than 10 years old.
- Install sprinklers: If you are building or remodeling your home, install residential fire sprinklers. Sprinklers can contain and may even extinguish a fire in less time than it would take the fire department to arrive. -NFPA
Source: www.nfpa.org