The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes local fire prevention activities that contributed to reducing the number of lives lost in residential fires. The Laurel Volunteer Fire Department qualified for the award in 2000 because it recorded zero fire deaths in structures during that year. Although residential fires in the U.S. account for only 20 percent of all fires, they result in 80 percent of fire deaths. The RFSI is committed to reducing that number. A total of 1,124 fire departments in the U.S. , Canada, and Iceland received the 2000 Life Safety Achievement Award."Experience tells us that fire prevention activity and public education can significantly reduce life and property loss from residential fire," Marshal said. "Prevention and education are very cost effective compared to the traditional approach of relying on fire suppression. The Life Safety Achievement Award recognizes fire departments for their fire prevention efforts and encourages them to continually improve those efforts."
The RFSI is a public interest group whose mission is to reduce residential fire deaths and injuries. The RFSI advocates the use of residential fire sprinklers, smoke alarms and teaching people fire-safe behavior. Its principal program is Operation Life Safety, which assists fire departments with implementing residential sprinkler/smoke alarm programs. The RFSI's membership includes the United States Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals and private industry/associations with an interest and commitment in residential fire safety. Visit the RFSI's web site at firesafehome.org.
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