The Bartlett Fire Department recently received its kit for the Buzzly Fire Safety Program. Present were Fire Marshal David Bradshaw, Brodis Allen, Rob Gerlowski, Andrew Mills, Donald Colbert, Rebecca Priddy, Joni McMahan, Chief Terry Wiggins and Deputy Fire Marshal Howard McNatt.
The Bartlett Fire Department recently received its kit for the Buzzly Fire Safety Program. Present were Fire Marshal David Bradshaw, Brodis Allen, Rob Gerlowski, Andrew Mills, Donald Colbert, Rebecca Priddy, Joni McMahan, Chief Terry Wiggins and Deputy Fire Marshal Howard McNatt.
Shelby County Fire Department members are proud to be a part of the introduction of the Buzzly Fire Safety program into the Shelby County School system. Pictured are Corey Howard (front row, left), Administrative Battalion Chief Glen Kneeland, Chief Clarence Cash, Nicholas Priddy, Mallory Priddy, Lt. Rodney Smith, Jeremy Havlik and Brian Jones; Joni McMahan (back row, left), Rebecca Priddy, Nancy Loggins, Fire Inspector Rudy Doyle and Terry Watts.
At the event are Bill Scott, Drew Hale, Asst. Chief Jim McMillen, Rebecca Priddy, Joni McMahan, Chief Dennis Rutledge, Lt. Len Beardsley and Ryan White.
The Shelby County Council PTA and the Shelby County Metro Fire Marshals Association collaborated this year to get a consistent fire safety program into the elementary schools in the Shelby County Schools system.
With the help of a grant from the Assisi Foundation, 26 of the 30 elementary schools' PTAs or schools have implemented the programs.
The programs consist of one kit per classroom for pre-K through third grade that includes a 17-minute DVD on fire safety and teaching material and each school receives one Buzzly puppet with music CD, as well as a Spanish version.
"With the introduction of the Buzzly Fire Safety Program into the Shelby County Schools system we hope to see a reduction in the number children killed or injured by fire. If just one child is spared that fate, it will be worth every cent and every ounce of effort spent to make this program happen," said David Bradshaw, Bartlett fire marshal and president of the Shelby Country Metro Fire Marshals Association.
In addition to implementing the program into the elementary schools, kits of the Buzzly Fire Safety Program were recently donated to the Bartlett, Arlington and Shelby County fire departments for each fire station to use to educate area children consistently in fire safety.
The kits were made available through a grant from CIGNA Health Care. This gift is important to the fire departments as they are supporting the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's initiative to protect the high-risk children through education.
"It is the intent of CIGNA to help the people we serve improve their health, well-being and security. CIGNA cares about young children and by providing the Buzzly Fire Safety programs to teach the young children, we are teaching them basic safety skills that will last a lifetime," said Brent Wick, senior CIGNA manager.
Elementary schools in the Bartlett and Arlington area that currently have the Buzzly program are Arlington, Bartlett, Bon Lin, Ellendale, Lakeland, Oak and Rivercrest.
For more information on Buzzly Fire Safety, visit buzzlyfiresafety.com. To find out more information about the Buzzly programs in Shelby County, contact Rebecca Priddy at ropriddy@comcast.net.
Rebecca Priddy is past president of the Shelby County Council PTA
