{"id":10928,"date":"2016-02-03T08:00:08","date_gmt":"2016-02-03T14:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/?p=10928"},"modified":"2016-02-02T22:07:19","modified_gmt":"2016-02-03T04:07:19","slug":"tennessee-fire-death-rate-hits-new-low-in-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.paristn.net\/articles\/2016\/02\/03\/tennessee-fire-death-rate-hits-new-low-in-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee Fire Death Rate Hits New Low In 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"TennesseeNashville, TN<\/strong> – For the second consecutive year, Tennessee fire deaths decreased to a new state-record low while the number of lives saved by smoke alarms installed by the state\u2019s fire departments continues to climb.<\/p>\n

The Tennessee State Fire Marshal\u2019s Office (SFMO) announces today that fewer unintentional structure fire fatalities occurred in 2015 than in any year in recorded Tennessee history, including a milestone year achieved last year.<\/p>\n

Seventy-two (72) people died in accidental home fires across the state in 2015 \u2014 down from 76 fatalities in 2014. Both years were record-breaking improvements compared to 2013\u2019s fire fatality total of 100.<\/p>\n

\"Tennessee<\/a>

Tennessee fire deaths have decreased for the second straight year.<\/p><\/div>\n

The three leading causes of 2015\u2019s fire fatalities were smoking, electrical distribution (wiring, outlets,) and heating, according to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS). TFIRS indicates that nearly 80% of last year\u2019s state fire deaths took place in homes where no smoke alarm was known to have been present.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe loss of life in a fire is a tragic event that we are committed to stopping,\u201d Tennessee Commerce & Insurance Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Julie Mix McPeak said. \u201cOur partners in the Tennessee fire service community have worked diligently to prevent loss of life, and our teamwork is paying off. Going forward, we will not be complacent, and we will continue to make risk-reduction initiatives our top priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tennessee has seen a 28% reduction in fire fatalities over the last five years (2011-2015) from the previous five-year average (2006-2010) when the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) ranked Tennessee as No. 6 in the nation for fire deaths.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe continued reduction of fire fatalities in our state is a result of the dedication and commitment of the entire Tennessee fire service,\u201d said Gary West, TDCI Deputy Commissioner for Fire Prevention. \u201cA key part of the SFMO\u2019s lifesaving mission is promoting the importance of smoke alarms. Our \u2018Get Alarmed\u2019 program continues to see great success due to partnerships with local fire departments and agencies like the Red Cross.\u201d<\/p>\n

Launched in November 2012, the \u201cGet Alarmed Tennessee\u201d program<\/a> is responsible for over 100,000 smoke alarms being distributed by the SFMO. More than 450 fire service partners work to install the 10-year battery alarms in homes statewide.<\/p>\n

This program, along with focused fire prevention in high-risk areas of the state, has helped increase awareness about the dangers of fire. The smoke alarms provide the basic level of protection in homes, (early detection) and have directly prevented tragedies from occurring. Smoke alarms installed as part of the \u201cGet Alarmed\u201d program are credited with saving 121 Tennesseans<\/a> from fire danger so far. Thirty-six of those saves occurred in 2015 alone.<\/p>\n

Last year\u2019s reduction in loss of life could not have happened without the support of local, state, and nationwide organizations, including:<\/p>\n