Note form Russ

5/22/08

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

The Kentucky Fire Service turned out big time today at the state Building, Housing and Construction Board meeting and offered compelling testimony that defeated an attempt to remove arch fault circuit interrupters (AFCIs) and tamper resistant receptacles (TRRs) from the Kentucky Electrical Code. This is a huge win for fire safety and injury prevention in our state! According to the U.S. Fire Administration, each year home electrical problems cause 70,000 fires, resulting in 485 deaths and $868 million in property loss. The CPSC believes that the AFCI, if installed in all homes, could prevent 50% of electrical fires from occurring. Further, each year approximately 2,400 children suffer severe shock and burns when they stick items into the slots of electrical receptacles. Most if not all of these injuries and deaths would be prevented if every home had TRRs.

We’ll never know for certain how many lives will be saved by today’s action, because that is the nature of prevention. However, I carried enough bodies from buildings during my many years as a line fire fighter to know that every single life saved is incredibly important to that person’s family and friends.

I just wanted to send this brief note of gratitude to my friends and colleagues in the Kentucky Fire Service. Key leaders from throughout the state, including our new state fire marshal, the President of the KAFC, representatives from the Jefferson County Chiefs and Inspectors, and many others were present and spoke in support of fire and life safety. I also want to thank our friends in the electrical profession, including our chief electrical inspector, for their leadership and support. And, last but not least, I want to thank the members of the Board of Housing, Building and Construction for supporting the fire and electrical professionals throughout our state and putting the safety of our citizens first. Today, working together, we saved lives!

Thank you!!

P.S. Please feel free to share this note of gratitude with our fellow professionals throughout the state.

Russ

Russell E. Sanders

NFPA

3257 Beals Branch Road

Louisville, KY 40206

TEL: +1 502-894-0411

FAX: +1 502-894-0519

U.S.A.

rsanders@nfpa.org