The City of Alcoa Police and Fire Departments are partnering together to celebrate National Night Out and National Fire Prevention Week and are inviting the community, young and old, to join them. The two departments will host their combined annual event – “Community Day” – together on Tuesday, September 20th at New Midland Plaza from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. with food, entertainment, displays and family activities.
National Night Out is a nationwide annual community-building campaign that (1) heightens crime, drug and violence prevention awareness; (2) generates support for, and participation in, local anticrime programs; (3) strengthens neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; (4) sends a message to criminals letting them know the neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.
Police Chief Philip Potter said “National Night Out is designed to heighten a community’s awareness of crime/drug prevention and to strengthen police-community and neighborhood partnerships, while at the same time sending a visible message to criminals letting them know that our community is organized and fighting back against crime. We also ask everyone afterwards to leave their porch light on tonight to show their support in joining APD in giving crime a going away party.”
Partnering with the police, the fire department’s focus will be celebrating National Fire Prevention Week from Oct 9-15. This year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Don’t Wait – Check the Date! Replace Smoke Alarms Every 10 Years,” represents the final year of a three-year effort to educate the public about basic but essential elements of smoke alarm safety. Since only a small percentage of people know how old their smoke alarms are, or how often they need to be replaced, addressing smoke alarm replacement is this year’s focus with these key messages:
• Smoke alarms should be replaced every 10 years.
• Make sure you know how old all the smoke alarms are in your home.
• To find out how old a smoke alarm is, look at the date of manufacture on the back of the alarm; the alarm should be replaced 10 years from that date.
In 1920, President Woodrow Wilson issued the first National Fire Prevention Day proclamation, and since 1922, Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday period in which October 9th falls. According to the National Archives and Records Administration's Library Information Center, Fire Prevention Week is the longest running public health and safety observance on record. It was established to commemorate the Great Chicago Fire, the tragic 1871 conflagration that killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. The fire began on October 8, but continued into and did most of its damage on October 9, 1871.
“In a fire, seconds count,” said Fire Chief Roger Robinson. “Half of home fire deaths result from fires reported at night between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. when most people are asleep. Home smoke alarms can alert people to a fire before it spreads, giving everyone enough time to get out.”
According to the latest NFPA research, working smoke alarms cut the chance of dying in a fire in half. Meanwhile, three out of five fire deaths resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms.
Displays and activities will be provided by the City of Alcoa Police Department, City of Alcoa Fire Department, United States Armed Forces, American Red Cross, E-911 Communications Center, Rural Metro, and Blount County Rescue Squad.
Buffalo Wild Wings, Domino’s, Dickey’s Barbeque, Menchie’s, The Soup Kitchen and Chick-Fil-A will be on hand with samplings of their food along with free to all: snow cones, popcorn, and water!
Community organizations represented will be: Blount Discount Pharmacy; Keep Blount Beautiful; ALCOA, Inc.; H.O.M.E., Inc.; Alcoa Tenn Federal Credit Union; Blount County Department of Health; the Blount Memorial Hospital Foundation & Community Outreach programs Substance Abuse Prevention Action Team of Blount County (SAPAT), Mental Health Awareness Suicide Prevention Alliance of Blount County (MHASPA), and Safe Blount; Blount County Task Force Against Domestic Violence; Blount County Health Department; Vet2Vet; Boy Scouts of America; South College School of Pharmacy; Shiloh Riders; Compassion Counseling; Lowe’s Home Improvement Center; BlueCare Tennessee; Helen Ross McNabb; Headstart; Bebe Salon; Brown Chiropractic; Champion Physical Therapy; English Mountain Recovery; Gold’s Gym; East Child Care Resource & Referrals; Smith Funeral Home; ADT; Reality Based Tactical Training; Five O Gear; A.L.i.C.E. Training Institute; Legal Aid of East Tennessee; Blount County Sheriff’s Office Senior Outreach; and F.A.D.D. = Fathers Against Drunk Driving.
Other activities on-site will include bounce houses and slides, various costumed mascots, the City of Alcoa Fire Department’s Smoke House, a variety of hands-on displays by the City of Alcoa Police Department, the University of Tennessee “Seat Belt Convincer”, and the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s “Rollover Car” and/or “Nailed Car.” Alcoa High School students will be doing face painting. There will also be balloons and various free giveaways for everyone.
The night’s entertainment will include the bluegrass stylings of Pistol Creek Catch of the Day, Midwest Radio station, and Larry the Firefighter.
The event is open to the entire community, rain or shine, and is completely free. Bring your friends, relatives, neighbors and children - everyone is welcome!
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