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BY NIC MILLER
STAR STAFF
nic.miller@elizabethton.com

Elizabethton Fire Marshal Jeremiah Tolley is using the annual celebration of Fire Prevention Week to raise awareness locally about fire safety.

The annual fire prevention week continues through Oct. 9.

Tolley said one of the most important aspects of educating the public is making sure families have a plan.

  “One of the most important things is to make sure that your kids and the rest of the family have a safety plan in the case of an emergency,” he said.  “A safety plan would primarily consist of a way to escape a home that is on fire, as well as a safe place to meet outside of the home once everyone is out.”

Planning is just the first step. Tolley said family members also need to know how to respond in a fire emergency. “If a child does smell smoke, they should stay as close to the ground as possible, and if the smoke is too thick to be able to leave then the child should stay in their bedroom and use a towel to keep smoke out while they signal for help through the window,” he said.

Tolley also said that stop, drop, and roll is a very important thing for children to remember, something that has been taught to them time after time in school.

And while all these things are important, Tolley also reminded the public to be sure and change batteries in smoke detectors. Experts often recommend changing batteries each year during time changes (once in spring, once in fall).

And if a household does not currently have smoke detectors, Tolley said the fire department can provide one for free.
“We receive many smoke alarms from the state for people who do not currently have any, so if someone is in need of an alarm, they can call the department and we can schedule a time to come install it.”

Residents can call the Elizabethton Fire Department at (423) 542-5421 to schedule a fire alarm installment.