Firehouse BBQ moves to a real firehouse

Shelbyville & Bedford County Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual Firehouse Barbecue at a new -- and appropriate -- location this year: Tennessee Fire Service and Codes Enforcement Academy.

The barbecue will be Monday from 5-7 p.m. (the serving line will run from 5-6 p.m.) in the dining hall, and free tours of the campus will be available beginning at 4 p.m.

The annual Chamber barbecue benefits the Shelbyville Fire Department and Bedford County Fire Department smoke detector funds. The departments makes smoke detectors available to senior citizens or to those who can't afford them. The current incarnation of the event is in its 10th consecutive year; a similar barbecue had been held in the past.

Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and must be purchased in advance through the Chamber office on Cannon Boulevard.

TFACA, operated by Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, offers training for the state's firefighters and codes inspectors. Its campus is located at 2161 Unionville-Deason Road in the northern end of the county. It includes classrooms, a dormitory, a dining hall, a working fire station, a high-tech "burn building" which can simulate several different environments in which a fire may occur, and a codes "prop house" designed to teach codes inspectors how to look for violations.