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With a 9-0 unanimous
vote, Tennessee's Fire
Safe Cigarette
legislation cleared the
Judiciary Committee on
Tuesday, April 3rd.
On Tuesday, March 13th,
a contingent of
Tennessee fire service
representatives convened
at the State Capitol to
show support for Senate
Bill 2306, presented by
Sen. Rosalind Kurita
(D-Clarksville), which
would require all
cigarettes sold in the
State of Tennessee to
meet "fire safe"
standards.
From 2001 through 2005,
fires started by smoking
materials resulted in
800
fires (673 of which were
residential), over $13 million
in damages, and 36
deaths.
While the new cigarettes
aren't expected to
totally eliminate the
inherent risk of fire
that any smoking
material presents, fire
service leaders feel
that any fire that is
prevented makes the
passage of this
legislation worthwhile.
Fire-safe cigarettes are
already required in
eight states and all of
Canada. Kentucky
and Maryland
became numbers 7 and 8 this
past month. 20+ other
states are considering
similar legislation.
The next step for this
bill is a hearing before
the Finance Committee.
Information on this
hearing will be posted
as it becomes available.
For more information on
the topic, see our
Fire Safe Cigarette Fact
Sheet |
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L to R:
Deputy Chief
Derek Noe,
Ashland City
Fire Dept.; Fire
Marshal Andy
King, Franklin
Fire Dept.;
Asst. State Fire
Marshal Emmitt
Turner; Danny
Briley, TN/KY
Fire Sprinkler;
Sen. Rosalind
Kurita; Roger
Hawks, TFACA
Director; Vickie
Pritchett, Fire
Team Project
Manager; Eric
Briley, TN/KY
Fire Sprinkler;
Karen Alexander,
TFACA; Fire
Marshal PJ
Duncan, Pleasant
View Vol. Fire
Dept.; and Kevin
Lauer, CTAS
(blocked). |
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