Fire safety in spotlight after tragic fatal fires

• Scott LaMar/WITF
  BioRecent Stories

  

  Scott LaMar has worked in both radio and television for more than four decades.
  
  Currently, LaMar is the Host and Executive Producer of The Spark program on WITF-FM, 89.5 & 93.3 in Harrisburg, Pa.
  
  Previously, LaMar was WITF TV’s Sr. Public Affairs producer and produced the station’s award-winning weekly public affairs TV program, Smart Talk.
  
  In addition to his on-air duties, LaMar has moderated political candidate debates, including those for candidates running for Pennsylvania governor and the U.S. Senate and was a regular contributor to BBC World News TV before and after the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
  
  LaMar often emcees or moderates local events and has gone as far as California to emcee a national event.
  
  The American Society of Civil Engineers honored LaMar with their national Excellence in Journalism award in 2020. He has been nominated for five Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
  
  LaMar and The Spark have been recognized throughout the Central Pennsylvania community including ADVOZ Lancaster’s “Dignity in Dialogue Award”, the South-Central Assembly’s “Regional Citizen Award” and was named a “Humanitarian Hero” by The Humane Society of the United States/Pennsylvania.
  
  A native of Coatesville, Pa., LaMar has also worked as a broadcast news anchor, sports play-by-play announcer and manager.

 Matt Rourke / AP Photo

Philadelphia firefighters and police work at the scene of a deadly row house fire, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022, in the Fairmount neighborhood of Philadelphia. (

Airdate: Wednesday, January 12, 2022

Sunday morning, 17 people, including eight children, died in an apartment fire in the Bronx, New York. Twelve people, including eight children, were killed in a Philadelphia row home fire last Wednesday. A 69-year-old man died a house fire in Dauphin County last weekend.

The Philadelphia and New York fires were unusual because of the large number of people who tragically lost their lives. However, fatal fires unfortunately are still common, although there aren’t as many as years ago before smoke detectors were in most homes.

But keeping our homes safe from fire and being prepared should be a priority all the time and perhaps we need to be reminded.

Pennsylvania’s Acting Fire Commissioner Thomas Cook is on Wednesday’s Smart Talk to discuss fire safety.

The Associated Press and WITF’s democracy reporter Jordan Wilkie are partnering to tell stories about how Pennsylvania elections work, and to debunk misinformation surrounding elections. 

Read the stories here