Brian and Terry Davis will receive the Smoke Detector on Guard Award from the Ohio Department of Commerce’s Division of State Fire Marshal and the Forest Park Fire Department on August 5, 1997 at 6:30 p.m. The ceremony will be held at Winton Woods High School, 1231 West Kemper Road, Forest Park.

“The Smoke D.O.G. Award recognizes heroes such as Brian and Terry who save lives by responding to the warning sound of a smoke detector,” said Donna Owens, Director of the Department of Commerce. “Like a guard dog, a smoke detector 'stands watch' over the home both day and night.”

Terry Davis and his son Brian will receive the award for their alert actions after fire broke out in their home at 11440 Kenn Road in Forest Park on March 8, 1997. The family was awakened by their operating smoke detector after a fire started in the basement in the late evening. Brian quickly awakened his father, and they immediately exited the house. They dialed 911 from their neighbor's house after trying unsuccessfully to call from their portable phone. Brian's quick thinking and the presence of a smoke detector saved his life, the life of his father, and saved the house from major damage. Rather fortuitously, they had just changed the battery in their smoke detector.

"The quick and cool headed actions of Brian Davis that day made for a quick response from the fire department and a quick escape for himself and his father," said Forest Park Fire Chief Robert Stegeman.

“Of the approximately 200 Ohioans who die each year from fire, half of these lives could have been saved if at least one smoke detector had been installed and maintained in the home,” said State Fire Marshal James J. McNamee. “For the greatest level of safety, a smoke detector should be placed on every level of the home and tested monthly.”

Brian and Terry will receive the Smoke D.O.G. award certificate and each will receive a “Smoke D.O.G” t-shirt from Debbie Hoffman, a fire safety educator for the Division of State Fire Marshal's Fire Prevention Bureau. Chief Stegeman and members of the Forest Park Fire Department will also be on hand.

The "Smoke D.O.G." program stands for "SMOKE Detector On Guard." Like a guard dog, a smoke detector stands watch over the home both day and night. Most fatal fires occur during the night when people are sleeping and most vulnerable. The Smoke D.O.G. Award recognizes individuals whose lives were saved by reacting appropriately to the warning sound of a smoke detector.

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The Ohio Department of Commerce, led by Director Donna Owens, is one of the state's chief regulatory agencies. It works to protect Ohioans by enforcing regulations involving construction, fire codes, financial institutions, investments, liquor control, real estate, and unclaimed funds.