Steve Smith is the President of the National Institute of Fire and Safety Training (NIFAST), and is at the forefront of the fire protection industry. Here is his first blog post…
I guess you could call me a helicopter parent. I have two children, one in college, and the other a sophomore in high school. I live in a beautiful lakefront community on Lake Erie called Port Clinton. My family and I have shared many family water activities over the years – boating, dining alongside many of the lakefront islands, and spending genuine quality time together. I have devoted my life to the fire protection industry, mostly due to the fact that this industry, with its products and services does in fact, SAVE LIVES. I have always felt that my work days are devoted to the providing services that help people to respond in emergencies, act quicker to unsafe conditions, and provide emergency support in the most life-threatening emergencies.
When the time came to release my child into college life, I took one look at the environment in which he would be living, and I was a mess! (I guess you would call his living conditions a fire trap). How could I possibly leave him here? Does he know what to do in an emergency, does he know how to cook properly and safely, will he keep the one lone smoke detector in the house full of battery life, or will that battery end up in another appliance? I was overwhelmed.
When NIFAST first began to form into a company two years ago, I was approached by their executive board to help steer and direct the ship. NIFAST is about saving lives. It is more than products and services, it is about providing information to the right people at the right time. Knowing what to do in a fire emergency can and will save your life. Our practices are NOT being taught in the schools, and whatever you think your child has learned on the playground during October’s fire safety week, or at the local firehouse during open house…is frankly, not enough.
Our mission is quite simple…we believe that knowledge plus education will lead to safer lives. We hope to arm as many people with these life-saving skills and training techniques so living environments will become safer, parents jobs as educators will become simpler, and communities will embrace safer tactics when outfitting their homes. The time to educate is NOW!
Steve Smith – President of NIFAST
NIFAST is a national company comprised of certified fire safety professionals, founded and operated by fire safety industry leaders.
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Congrats on a great blog post!