Businesses, fire department team up to foster safety education

The New Bern Fire and Rescue Department is teaming with businesses in a partnership to educate people about safety and prevention.

Using money contributed by the businesses, the Partnership for Prevention will take educational programs to more people.

Lt. Richard Weems and fire inspector Jeremy Blalock began the partnership project after a firefighter from Conover told them about a similar program there. Elliot Cowey of the Cowey Insurance Group was the first contributor.

"I just took the challenge," Cowey said. "Everybody wants to do something, but usually they don't get involved. It's just good to do something for the community."

Blalock said the program is not just about fire prevention. He said the safety in general will be part of the education.

Weems said statistics show that unattended cooking is the number one cause of fires in New Bern and nationwide. "Careless smoking is the number one cause of fatal fire deaths," he said. "We hope Partners in Prevention will allow the fire department to target areas of concern. Not only children but adults."

He said the goal of the partnership program is to reduce fire deaths, injuries and property loss within the city.

The fire department has engaged in educating children in fire prevention and safety for years. It has a puppet show, clowns and a mobile house it takes to schools to show small children fire safety.

The department wants to expand the education to include adults through a program called "Remembering When." Weems said the program will go to nursing home and rest homes. "We want fire prevention to be 12 months a year, instead of two weeks in October," he said.

Since the partnership program began, other donors have joined, including Maola Milk & Ice Cream, Craven County Board of Education, Cella Ford and First Alert.

Those contributions will fund the first Fire and Life Safety Education show. It is set for Sunday, Sept. 7, with two shows at 3 and 5 p.m. at Grover C. Fields School auditorium.

All of the donations will be used 100 percent for the education program.

Donors will be invited to the fire department in January to make suggestions for educational programs.