Fire marshal honored: Lehigh Fire Marshal Kenneth Bennett, of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District, center, is shown with members of the Caloosa Chapter of the Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution who honored him last week. At left is Allen Brown, a vice president and at right is Randy Moody, president, both officers of the Caloosa Chapter. Photo courtesy Lehigh Acres Fire Dept.

Ken Bennett, of the Lehigh Acres Fire Control & Rescue District, was honored last week in Fort Myers with the presentation of a fire safety medal from the Caloosa Chapter of the Florida Society Sons of the American Revolution. The presentation took place on February 9.

According to the citation, Bennett has taken many proactive measures to provide the community of Lehigh with the best services to prevent and reduce losses as related to fire protection and life safety.

During the presentation by Caloosa Chapter President Randy Moody said Bennett achieved this recognition with enforcement of the provisions of the Florida Fire Prevention Code, NFPA Life Safety Code, National Fire Codes and all state and local ordinances related to fire protection and life safety.

He said Bennett has taken great measures to reduce the frequency, probability and severity of fire resulting in loss of life and property through conducting frequent quality inspections in all commercial buildings, reviewing construction blueprints for code compliance, fire investigations and conducting educational classes for the public.

Bennett has been instrumental in the false fire alarm ordinance, lock box program, occupant load/exit checks in assembly occupancies, and computerized inspection file maintenance. Pre-fire planning programs are also overseen by his section.

With the information gathered and analyzed, Bennett has been able to identify arson activity and assist in prosecuting arsonists in Lehigh Acres.

This function is critical to the safety and welfare of the Lehigh community in terms of both actively identifying and prosecuting individuals who purposely start fires, but also in assisting in the prevention of arson activity, Moody said.

He has been able to accomplish this by directing at-risk youth to intervention programs through the Juvenile Firesetter Intervention Program. The research and data that he gathers demonstrates trends of fire and arson activity and identifies segments of the population who are at-risk for fire related injury and death and youth who are a- risk of fire setting activities, Moody said.

Due to the economic downturn and the loss of the fire district’s Public Fire Education program, Bennett has taken on the District’s effort to reduce the loss of life and property from fire and other dangerous hazards through the education of the community’s children in pre-school grades, Moody said.

Lehigh Fire chief Donald R. Adams attended the ceremony.

“He does a great job and the department is lucky to have such a talented fire marshal,” Adams said. “Everyone here has congratulated him for being recognized.”