The Georgia Army National Guard announced that the Army Guard’s environmental officer, Capt. Karen Corsetti, has been selected for the newly instituted position of National Guard Fire Marshall for the 14,000-member Georgia National Guard.
Capt. Karen Corsetti of Peachtree City, who currently oversees the Georgia National Guard’s Invasive Species Management program was selected for the position which will involve continuous inspection, prevention and education measures for the more than 73 National Guard armories and installations located across Georgia.
The 20-year National Guard officer has eight years of experience as a volunteer fire fighter and paramedic – most of it with Peachtree City Fire Department. She holds a National Professional Qualification (NPQ) certification as a level 2 firefighter, a fire instructor, public fire and life safety educator, wild land firefighter and a level 1 fire inspector. She is also a credentialed weapons of mass destruction (WMD) hazardous materials technician and an advanced hazardous materials life support instructor, and a health and wellness Instructor.
Corsetti will continue in her environmental officer’s position, but her energies will be primarily focused on her new fire marshal responsibilities for the Guard.
“It’s my hope that in a couple of years the Georgia Army Guard and its fire safety program will be one of the best in the country,” she said. She is initiating that effort by implementing an intensive inspection schedule, the first of which takes place in July at the Brunswick, Metter, Newnan and Calhoun armories.
In preparation for the new position, Corsetti has partnered with several local fire departments and is examining their best practices for possible implementation in Guard facilities around Georgia. She has also conducted fire inspections with Atlanta fire inspectors.
“Georgia is recognized as having among the most fire-related deaths in the country,” noted Corsetti. However, the number of residential fire fatalities and injuries has declined gradually over the past several decades, according to CDC statistics. Still many fires remain preventable and continue to pose a major public health problem. Corsetti says most fire-related fatalities are caused not from burns but from smoke or toxic gases from the fire.
“The Guardsmen and his/her family members is our greatest asset,” Corsetti reiterated. “Without them we cannot accomplish the state and federal missions we are called upon to perform for the people of Georgia. The loss of even a single armory, Corsetti explains, or any other Guard facility costs Georgia’s taxpayers lots of money.”
“Any successful fire safety program simply cannot wait for Fire Safety Week to roll around each year; it has to be an everyday occurrence,” said the Georgia Guard’s new Fire Marshall.
