State Fire Marshal, Nashville Red Cross Join Forces to Install Smoke Alarms Dec. 29

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) will partner with the Nashville Area Chapter of the Red Cross to install free smoke alarms throughout three Nashville neighborhoods on Thursday, December 29, 2016. The outreach event was organized to fill requests received via the SFMO’s online alarm form which allows Tennessee residents to apply for free smoke alarms and complimentary installations.

The event will raise awareness about fire hazards in winter when heating fires are the leading cause of fatal fires in Tennessee. To date, 18 Tennesseans have perished in fires during December, including three fatalities in the Nashville area.

“The Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office extends our sympathies to the families of all the victims of fatal fires,” said State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak. “Thursday’s canvass will provide easy access to smoke alarms while highlighting crucial fire prevention safety measures. We’re thankful for our partners like the Red Cross, who are demonstrating their commitment to helping Tennesseans by participating in this event.”

Alarms utilized in Thursday’s canvass are provided through the SFMO’s “Get Alarmed” program. Since the program’s inception in 2012, the SFMO has distributed over 136,000 smoke alarms statewide to 479 partnering organizations. Smoke alarms installed through the program are credited with saving 168 Tennesseans from fire danger so far and helped lower Tennessee’s fire fatality rate to an all-time low in 2015.

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