August 20, 2015 – National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) announced the addition of three public education specialists: Kelly Ransdell, Meredith Hawes and Jeffrey Donahue. In these newly-created public education positions, Ransdell, Hawes and Donahue will be responsible for working in coordination with state and local fire departments to support their fire safety education efforts. Each specialist will focus on specific regions of the U.S.
Ransdell (New England and southern regions) previously worked as the deputy director of the North Carolina Department of Insurance - Office of State Fire Marshal for nearly 15 years, overseeing its prevention, programs and grants division. She also worked as the state director of Safe Kids North Carolina, which includes 42 coalitions covering 72 counties. Ransdell currently serves on many state and local committees related to injury prevention, and formerly served on the NFPA 1035 committee that provides technical assistance on national fire prevention standards. In addition, she is a member of Safe Kids Harnett County.
Hawes (mid-west and mid-Atlantic regions) brings experience in non-profit administration, corporate training and public education on local, state and national levels. She is a member of the Aging and Disability Resource Collaborative of Northwest Michigan Steering Committee, the coordinator of the Traverse Bay Area Hoarding Task Force and serves on the Board of Governors for the National Cherry Festival. Hawes was also a fire and life safety public educator for the Grand Traverse Metro Fire Department.
Donahue (western region) is a fire service veteran with more than 34 years of experience, including his last assignment as division chief/fire marshal for the City of Reno (Nev.) Fire Department. He has worked closely with NFPA as a board member of the International Fire Marshals Association (IFMA), most recently serving as first vice president and chapter committee chair.
“We’re excited to have Meredith, Kelly and Jeff on board,” said Judy Comoletti, NFPA’s public education division manager. “Each specialist will play an important role in delivering fire safety through various parts of the region. I’m confident that each of them will make a measurable difference in effectively reaching communities throughout the U.S.”
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
Founded in 1896, NFPA is a global, nonprofit organization devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. The association delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering the NFPA mission. For more information visit www.nfpa.org. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed online for free at www.nfpa.org/freeaccess.
Subscribe to NFPA RSS News feeds
Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1 617 984-7275