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October 25, 2004
Holly Smith
Community Information SpecialistFIRE SERVICES EARNS LIFE SAFETY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Volusia County Fire Services again 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.
“It shows our programs appear to be having a positive impact,” said County Fire Chief Jim Tauber. There have been no residential fire deaths three of the past five years and one residential fire death in calendar year 2000. There have been no residential fire deaths in 2004 to date.
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 serviced areas, Tauber said. Nearly 1,700 detectors have been distributed. The department administers two public education programs that focus on life safety from structure fires. Staff provide free home safety audits. The child safety house is taken to schools and events to teach children fire safety and ways to exit a burning structure correctly.
County Fire Services also received the award the past two years. Awards are based on data from the previous calendar year.
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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Volusia County, Florida.