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October 11, 2005
Shelley Szafraniec
Community Information Specialist

VOLUSIA COUNTY FIRE SERVICES EARNS LIFE SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

For the fourth year in a row, Volusia County Fire Services has earned the Life Safety Achievement Award from the Residential Fire Safety Institute. The award recognizes fire prevention activities that contributed to reducing loss of life in residential fires.

"In 2004, we were so fortunate to have experienced zero structural fire deaths in our jurisdiction," said Volusia County Fire Services Chief Jim Tauber. "We have been very pro-active in the community with fire prevention and are working with local developers to consider residential fire sprinklers as an option in new construction to improve the life safety for the elderly, children and firefighters."

Volusia County Fire Services supports unincorporated areas and the cities of DeBary, Lake Helen, Oak Hill and Pierson.

In 1998, the County initiated a smoke detector program that provides free detectors upon request to residents in serviced areas, Tauber said. Nearly 2,205 detectors have been distributed. The department administers two public education programs that focus on life safety from structure fires. Staff provides free home safety audits. The child safety house is taken to schools and community events to teach children fire safety and ways to exit a burning structure correctly.

Only 20 percent of fires in the U.S. are in residential structures. However, they result in 80 percent of all fire deaths, according to the Residential Fire Safety Institute (RFSI).

The RFSI is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. For more information on the award, please log on to the group's website at www.firesafehome.org.

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