NASHVILLE, TN – According to the Tennessee Fire Incident Reporting System (TFIRS), 14 percent of the state’s fire deaths last year resulted from fires caused by smoking, which made smoking the leading cause of the state’s fire fatalities in 2012.

“Putting out a cigarette or other smoking material the right way only takes seconds,” State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak says. “Those seconds can mean the difference between a fire-safe home and a home devastated by a tragic fire.”

NASHVILLE, TN – The presence of portable, medical oxygen in Tennessee homes has grown over the past decade, and so has the need for education about the fire hazards associated with its use. Medical oxygen adds a higher percentage of oxygen to the air a patient uses to breathe. Fire needs oxygen to burn. If a fire should start in an oxygen-enriched area, the material burning will burn more quickly.

“When more oxygen is present, any fire that starts will burn hotter and faster than usual,” State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak says. “It is crucial to follow safety precautions when medical oxygen is in use in a home.”

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Securities Division wants to alert Tennesseans to actions being taken by other states’ securities regulators against an Internet-based company alleged to have promoted unregistered investment plans.

According to a temporary cease-and-desist order filed Feb. 27, 2013, by the Securities Division of the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Roman Novak, Radoslav Novak and their company – Inter Reef Ltd., doing business as Profitable Sunrise – are promoting at least five “investment plans” through a website that offers rates of return ranging from 1.6 percent daily to 2.7 percent daily for 180 to 240 days. The filing ordered the respondents to cease and desist from offering for sale, soliciting offers to purchase or selling, in or from North Carolina, any securities unless and until such securities have been registered and until Roman Novak, Radoslav Novak, and Inter Reef Ltd. d/b/a Profitable Sunrise become registered as dealers or sellers of securities.

NASHVILLE, TN – Please see the attached February 2013 disciplinary actions report for Commerce and Insurance. The disciplinary actions report is issued each month by Commerce and Insurance's Division of Regulatory Boards. Each board and commission is empowered by statute to take disciplinary action, including the revocation of licenses and assignment of civil penalties, against license holders found to have violated laws governing their professions.

The reports (archived at http://1.usa.gov/zofWtO) and Commerce and Insurance’s regulatory board licensing database, http://verify.tn.gov, can be useful tools for Tennesseans looking to do business with licensed professionals.

NASHVILLE, TN – The State Fire Marshal’s Office is encouraging Tennesseans living in high-rise apartments or condominiums to plan and be prepared in the event of a fire.

“It is important to know the fire safety features in your building and to work with neighbors to help keep your building as fire-safe as possible,” State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak says. “Whether you live in a two-story condominium or a 15-story apartment, being prepared is fundamental to safely escaping a fire.”

NASHVILLE, TN – You purchased it with your car, but what exactly does your warranty promise to deliver? It’s best to know before you need it. Here are some tips to making sure your warranty works for you. 

NASHVILLE, TN – With the loss of 11 lives to residential structure fires since Feb. 28, the State Fire Marshal’s Office is encouraging all Tennesseans to change their smoke alarm batteries when they change their clocks Saturday night for daylight saving time.

NASHVILLE, TN – In the State Fire Marshal’s annual banquet to honor winners of the Fire Prevention Division’s youth poster contest, youths from kindergarten to the 12th grade were praised for using creativity and skill to encourage their communities to be more fire-safe.  

NASHVILLE, TN – “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” the saying goes. To help Tennesseans avoid common investment pitfalls, the Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) Securities Division would like to provide some tips for investors.

It is crucial that investors and would-be investors maintain the right perspective about their money. Consumers who make rash, poorly informed investment decisions often fall prey to fraudulent activity – especially when investing with people who are not registered with the State to sell securities or who are selling unregistered securities products.

NASHVILLE, TN – Every day, Americans experience the tragedy of a residential fire. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, more than 3,500 Americans die and approximately 18,300 are injured annually in fires. One of the primary causes of residential fire deaths and injuries for children under 10 is playing with a heat source, which includes lighters and matches.

“We urge parents to teach children at an early age about the dangers of playing with fire, to prevent child injuries, fire deaths and fire-setting behavior,” State Fire Marshal and Commerce & Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak says. “If your child expresses curiosity about fire or has been playing with fire, calmly but firmly explain the dangers and that matches and lighters are tools for adults only.”