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A
column by
District 50 State Representative Gary
Moore
Dry
Conditions Put Burn
Permits on Hold
Fire Safety:
Precaution and
Preparedness
 At the request
of a constituent, I have
elected to dedicate this
issue of “Moore From
The Hill” to inform
you about three important
issues of public safety.
The three issues I will
be addressing are: (1)
The dangers of
woods/grass fires, (2)
The importance of smoke
detectors and (3) The
proper use of fire
extinguishers.
WOODS
/ GRASS FIRES
As all of you know, the
50th House District is a
very diverse district. It
is made up of both rural
and urban areas
stretching from
Goodlettsville in the
north to Bellevue in the
south. Most of you
probably assume that
woods and/or grass fires
only occur in the rural
areas. Unfortunately this
is not the case and given
the recent drought we all
need to be better
educated on the dangers
of woods/grass fires.
We need to be mindful of
the dangers of discarding
everything from
cigarettes to glass
bottles that may magnify
the intense sun. Even
parking a hot car in
areas that are grass
covered may pose a
threat. In only a few
seconds a small spark can
involve several acres in
fire. Our carelessness
may cause a fire in a
wooded or grassy area
that endangers property
as well as lives of both
the public and
firefighters. On any
given day fighting a fire
is hot and physically
exhausting work, but when
temperatures reach the 90
to 100 degree range, it
is potentially deadly.
In Nashville/Davidson
County open burning is
allowed by permit only.
Currently due to the high
risk to public safety,
the issuing of burn
permits in Nashville is
on hold. The Fire
Marshal’s Office
makes an analysis daily
of the local conditions
using guidelines set
forth by the National
Fire Protection
Association (NFPA), in
order to determine the
safety of open burning.
Once local conditions
improve and are
acceptable by the
guideline, the ban on
burning can be lifted.
During acceptable times
burn permits are twofold
and must be approved by
both the Fire
Marshal’s Office and
the Health Department.
The Fire Marshal’s
Office issues two types
of burn permits.
Construction sites may
receive a permit for use
of an air curtain machine
for land clearing.
Special event bonfire
permits are considered on
a case by case basis. At
no time is anyone in
Davidson County allowed
to burn trash or
construction debris such
as roofing and framing
materials. To receive a
burn permit you will need
to fill out an
application at the Fire
Marshal’s Office
located at 416 Russell
Street in East Nashville.
The site where you plan
to burn will need to be
inspected and approved
prior to the issuance of
the actual permit.
Campfires may be used
throughout the county for
cooking purposes only.
These fires must be
protected in a
containment ring similar
to those used at the Corp
of Engineer campsites. A
steel ring with a grate
covering the fire will
help prevent the air flow
from picking up sparks
and embers. When planning
to cook over an open fire
it is important to
remember to stay well
away from structures,
overhanging vegetation
and excessive ground
debris. A water source is
also required, so stretch
out the garden hose. When
you have finished cooking
make sure that you
extinguish the fire
completely before leaving
the area. Unattended
fires and drought
conditions are a recipe
for disaster. If you
should have other
questions about burn
permits you may call the
Nashville Fire
Marshal’s office at
862-5230.
SMOKE
DETECTORS
A smoke detector is a
very important means of
preventing house and
apartment fire fatalities
by providing an early
warning signal, allowing
you and your family to
escape.
There are two basic types
of smoke detectors:
“ionization”
and
“photoelectric”.
Ionization alarms sound
quickly when a flaming,
fast moving fire occurs.
Photoelectric alarms are
quicker at sensing
smoldering, smoky fires.
You may also purchase a
combination detector
which combines both
types, called a
“dual sensor”
smoke detector.
Smoke alarms should be
installed on every level
of your home, including
the basement. If your
smoke alarms are battery
operated, you need to
check the batteries once
a year. Smoke detectors
are an inexpensive way to
help protect you loved
ones. If your home does
not have smoke detectors
or has inoperable smoke
detectors, I would urge
you to install new ones
on every level of your
home.
Some of the above
information is taken from
the United States Fire
Administration website.
For more information, go
to www.usfa.dhs.gov.
FIRE
EXTINGUISHERS
Fire Extinguishers are
another important means
of saving life and
property. It is an
excellent idea to keep at
least one fire
extinguisher in your
home, your garage, your
boat or any other
structure where there is
a possibility of fire. To
operate a fire
extinguisher, you must:
Pull the pin at
the top of the
extinguisher.
Aim at the base
of the fire, not the
flames.
Squeeze the lever
slowly.
Sweep from side
to side, moving the fire
extinguisher back and
forth until the fire is
out.
There are different types
of fire extinguishers,
and it is vital to know
what type of extinguisher
you are using. Using the
wrong type of
extinguisher for the
wrong type of fire can be
life-threatening.
Some of the information
on fire extinguishers was
obtained from an article
on the web. For more
information from this
article, go to www.fire-extinguisher101.com.
I hope you find
“Moore From The
Hill” informative.
However, the information
contained herein is not
given as legal or
professional advice,
rather for informational
purposes only.
If I may assist you,
please call me at
741-4317.
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Contact
Representative Gary Moore
Phone 615-741-4317
Email rep.gary.moore@legislature.state.tn.us
--October 12, 2007
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