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SIMMONS EMPLOYEES TOUR NEW FIRE SAFETY HOUSE

By Ray King/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Thursday, November 13, 2008 10:02 AM CST

When Simmons First National Bank agreed to provide funds for a new fire safety house, Pine Bluff Fire Chief Don Horton said one of the first things he would do was to show the house to bank employees.

Pine Bluff Commercial/Ralph Fitzgerald Kahdijah Miller (left), Life and Fire Safety Educator of the Pine Bluff Fire Department, begins the first Fire Safety House demonstration in the kitchen area for members of Simmons First National Bank on Wednesday morning at the Fire Safety House display.

Wednesday morning, Horton did just that, setting the house up on the parking lot at Sixth Avenue and Georgia Street, and inviting bank officials to get a hands-on look at what the Pine Bluff Fire and Emergency Services Department purchased.

“In the United States, there are 400,000 house fires a year,” Horton said before opening the house up for inspection. “There are 2,580 fire deaths each year, seven a day.

“With this tool, we will be able to reach thousands of adults and children, and at least one life, one child, one person will be saved because of it,” Horton said.

The new fire safety house, which arrived late last month, replaced one that firefighters built a number of years ago.

“In Pine Bluff, people make things happen and whether it’s our institution or another financial institution, or somebody else, we all work together to get things done,” said Tommy May, chief executive officer of Simmons First National Corp. and Simmons First National Bank. “What this is all about is saving lives. This was our opportunity to partner with the city, and make a difference.”

Pine Bluff Mayor Carl Redus Jr., who also spoke during the program, described the partnership between the bank and the fire department as “an opportunity for corporate citizens to cooperate with the public sector, and partner together to take care of the needs of this community, and help the city to improve its quality of life.”

He said he believed that because of the new fire safety house, “youth and senior citizens as well will learn the importance of fire safety.”

Fire and Emergency Services Life and Fire Safety Educator Engineer Kahdijah Miller said the fire safety house will be available for programs by request.

To schedule the fire safety house, call Miller at 543-5150.

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