Marianne Tate will receive the Smoke Detector on Guard Award (Smoke D.O.G) from the Ohio Department of Commerce's Division of State Fire Marshal and the Lima Fire Department on Wednesday, February 10th. The ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. at Lima Mayor David Berger's Press Conference, 50 Town Square, Lima.

"The Smoke D.O.G. Award recognizes heroes such as Marianne who save their lives by responding to the warning sound of a smoke detector," said Acting State Fire Marshal Terry Weber. "Like a guard dog, a smoke detector 'stands watch' over the home both day and night."

Marianne will receive the award for her alert actions after the fire broke out in her home on January 25, 1999. Marianne was awakened by the smoke detector alarm and discovered smoke in the furnace room and sparks emanating from the fuse box. She rushed out of the house to her neighbor's house where she called 911.

"Marianne Tate's actions are a textbook example of what to do in the event of a fire," said Marshal Weber. "Get out of the house as soon as you hear the smoke alarm, and call 911 from a neighbors house. Never call from inside your home."

Tate will receive the Smoke D.O.G. award certificate and t-shirt from Lima Mayor David Berger, Chief John Brookman and Fire Safety Inspector Tom O'Braen from the Lima Fire Department. Ron Ferguson, a fire safety educator for the Division of State Fire Marshal's Fire Prevention Bureau, will also attend the ceremony.

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The Division of State Fire Marshal is part of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Fire Marshal's Office trains firefighters, enforces the Ohio Fire Code, investigates the cause and origins of fires and explosions, provides fire prevention programs, and performs other services. Other Commerce divisions enforce regulations regarding industrial compliance, financial institutions, liquor, real estate, securities, auctioneers, unclaimed funds and private investigators, among others. The department's internet address is www.com.state.oh.us