SFMO, Partners Ring in Fire Prevention Week with Record-Setting Results

NASHVILLE – The State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) proudly announces that partnership efforts in Cumberland County and Memphis on Saturday, October 8, 2016 resulted in the record-breaking installation of 1,735 free smoke alarms for Tennesseans in need – more than doubling the previous one-day record of 770 alarms.

The Saturday smoke alarm canvasses helped raise awareness for National Fire Prevention Week, a longstanding educational campaign by the National Fire Protection Association which is supported by the SFMO. This year’s theme of “Don’t Wait: Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years” focuses consumer attention on the expiration date of smoke alarms.

“We salute Cumberland County and Memphis for their outreach efforts,” said State Fire Marshal and Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak.  “Not only did they install alarms for those in need, but they also replaced outdated alarms that may not have functioned properly during a fire. We encourage all Tennesseans to check the manufacture date on the back of their smoke alarms and replace any alarms that are 10 years old or older.”

The Cumberland County Fire Department, Crossville Fire Department, Fairfield Glade Fire Department, and the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Red Cross joined forces with the SFMO and State Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta) and State Rep. Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) to conduct a county-wide canvass. The crews installed 1,613 smoke alarms in homes throughout Cumberland County. Photos from the event can be found on the TDCI Flickr page.

The Memphis Fire Department and the Mid-South Chapter of the American Red Cross sent volunteers door-to-door installing 122 smoke alarms in residences throughout the city of Memphis.

The alarms utilized in both canvass events were provided as part of the SFMO’s “Get Alarmed” program. Launched in 2012, the initiative has distributed more than 122,000 free smoke alarms to 475 partnering organizations across the state to install within high-risk homes. Smoke alarms installed through the program are credited with saving 147 Tennesseans from fire danger so far and helped lower Tennessee’s fire fatality rate to an all-time low in 2015. Tennesseans in need of a smoke alarm can utilize the SFMO’s online alarm form to request a free installation.

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