September 27, 2004

PRESS RELEASE

To: Newsroom

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brian A. Crawford, Asst. to the Fire Chief

Phone: 673-6652, cell: 455-2609, page: 675-2137

Shreveport Fire Department Chosen to Kick Off Fire-Safe Smoking Campaign

Local department invited by US Fire Administration to pilot new program

Careless smoking is the number one cause of approximately 3,000 unintended fire deaths that occur in the United States each year. Starting Monday, September 27, the Shreveport Fire Department in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration (USFA) will be spearheading a new national Fire-Safe Smoking campaign intended to reduce those numbers and get smokers to adopt safe smoking habits.

The Shreveport Fire Department will be promoting the campaign, aimed specifically at smokers and those who live with smokers, with literature and informational releases at events through the next year in the community to:

- Raise awareness about the high rate of fire fatalities caused by careless smoking

- Persuade the target audience that deaths from fires caused by smoking materials are almost entirely preventable

- Get smokers to routinely practice safe smoking behaviors in and around the house

- Get smokers and their families to install and regularly teat smoke alarms, and to develop and practice home fire escape plans

Shreveport was selected by the USFA because it met all of their primary criteria for the pilot program: over 200,000 population and in a state with a high rate of fire fatalities of people who smoke. Shreveport’s fire prevention and education capacity, leadership, and commitment to reduce the #1 cause of fire deaths and injuries in the United States - lit cigarettes, was also a factor in the north Louisiana city being chosen.

Following are the departments first fire-safe smoking tips:

THE

SHREVEPORT FIRE DEPARTMENT IN COOPERATION WITH THE UNITED STATES FIRE ADMINISTRATION PRESENTS

Fire-Safe Smoking Tips

Careless smoking is the #1 cause of approximately 3,000 unintended fire deaths annually in American homes each year

Remember to put your cigarettes out all the way - no smoke or illuminated ember should be seem.

Never walk away from lit cigarette

If alcohol or medication makes you drowsy, or you just plain feel tired, put your cigarette out right away

Never, never smoke in bed