Craig Morgan joins campaign to raise awareness of fire safety and volunteer firefighters

He's known as one of the biggest stars in country music, but now Craig Morgan is making a name for himself as a fire safety advocate. Just ahead of the CMA Awards Wednesday night on ABC, Morgan is teaming up with Kidde Fire Safety to raise awareness about fire safety at home, and to lend support to the thousands of volunteer firefighters across the country.

Morgan knows the importance of fire safety and preparedness all too well: In 2011, the country music star utilized his EMT training to rescue two children from a burning house in his home state of Tennessee.

"As a former first responder, I know danger can strike at any time and I want to know my family is safe whenever I leave home." Morgan said.

Homeowners can prepare themselves with these simple home fire safety tips.

1. Replace outdated smoke alarms every 10 years. Consider installing smoke alarms with a 10-year sealed-in, tamper-proof battery.
2. Place fire extinguishers within reach on every level of your home.
3. Install UL-listed carbon monoxide (CO) alarms on each floor and near bedrooms.
4. Create and practice an escape plan with your family.
5. Commit to being a safety hero. Staying fire safe helps keep your family safer and reduces the risk of injury and death to firefighters.

The campaign also encourages civilians to support the thousands of volunteer firefighters who serve across the country.The National Fire Protection Association reports that 69 percent of U.S. firefighters serve as either volunteer or part-time. With just over 30,000 fire departments in the U.S., 85 percent of them are staffed by volunteer or primarily volunteer firefighters.

With the number of volunteer firefighters decreasing across the country, Americans can help give back by training as a firefighter or even providing office support at their local station.

To learn more about Morgan's new fire safety initiative with Kidde, watch the CMA Awards tonight live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. at 8 p.m. ET | 7 p.m. CT on ABC.

The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC and this station.