Dept. one of 160 across country to receive award for recording no fire deaths

The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District was recently presented with a Life Safety Achievement Award for its fire prevention accomplishments in 2015 by the National Association of State Fire Marshals (NASFM) Fire Research and Education Foundation in partnership with Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company. The award was announced by H. Butch Browning, president of the NASFM Fire Research and Education Foundation.

“When we hear the fire truck coming down the street and see its lights, we know firefighters are responding to someone in trouble. What we don’t know is that these unsung heroes are doing a lot of things behind the scenes that save lives,” said David Miller, assistant vice president of Special Investigations at Grinnell Mutual. “The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention programs that have been proven to save lives year after year.”

Since 1994, the Life Safety Achievement Award has recognized local fire prevention efforts that have contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. The Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District is one of 160 fire departments across the United States to receive the award this year for recording zero fire deaths in 2015 or reducing fire deaths by at least 10 percent during the year. In addition, award recipients documented active and effective fire prevention programs as well as a clear commitment to reducing the number of house fires in the community.

“Nationwide, residential fires account for only 20 percent of fires, but they result in 80 percent of fire fatalities,” according to Chief Warren Ashmore of the Landrum Area Fire and Rescue District. “Prevention efforts are key to reducing that number, and we are honored to be recognized for the work we’ve done in the Landrum area.”

The district was created to transition from a part-time paid department relying primarily on volunteers to a full-time paid staff of fire fighters with emergency response personnel augmented by volunteers. For more information, visit LandrumFire.com.

– article submitted by Taft Matney