As National Fire Prevention Week approaches, we are preparing to deliver our messages of fire safety to our communities. Growing our knowledge on battery related fires, gathering resources for children, scheduling community events- we know the drill. We know how to share our fire safety messages with our neighbors. We know that when it comes to smoke detectors the cheapest options isn’t always the best option. We know when to use a fire extinguisher and when to hightail it. We know fireworks are never safe but, come 4th of July time, all the parent’s groups on Facebook will be sharing tips on how to make fireworks safe for kids. We know it all that’s clear. But are we making sure that those we serve know it all too? Well, those questionable social media posts make it clear that sharing our knowledge alone isn’t enough. We must combat all the misconceptions out there too!
None of us wants to hurt someone’s feelings or step on anyone’s toes, but, when it comes to fire safety, sometimes it’s for the best. We have to be clear in our messaging; there are somethings, fireworks for example, that are just not safe, ever. Let’s make sure that we are sticking to the truth when we’re interacting with our community members. Let’s make it clear that their actions have consequences- and let’s get real about those consequences. Has your community even heard a burn survivor’s story? Have they ever seen the melted, charred possessions from a total-loss home fire? Have they ever heard the fear in a firefighters last call? As uncomfortable as those situations may seem they make fire real to a population that isn’t confronted by it on a daily basis. If your community doesn’t really feel that realness, then how can they really practice fire prevention?
Contrary to popular belief, NFPW isn’t about making fire safety fun for kids it’s about making sure all those we serve have the knowledge, resources, tools, and experiences that prevent fires. Our focus on children has allowed us to get greater opportunities for sharing our knowledge not only with them but with their parents, grandparents, teachers, and so on. But kids know to be scared of fire; we do a great job teaching them to be! Mom and dad not so much. Maybe thirty years ago, when they went through a Survive Alive House, they knew to be scared, to want to prevent fires, but that impression is long gone. We have a chance to make an impact on those folks, the ones who have forgotten why fire prevention is important, during National Fire Prevention Week. We can make them see the realities of fire. We can make them want to practice good fire safety. We can make our communities safer. What we can’t do is make our communities safer by sugarcoating the reality of fire. Let’s get real about fire with our communities.
Below are some ideas for making fire, and the need for fire prevention, a reality this NFPW:
- Display burned items such as teddy bears, photographs, shoes, and small appliances. These could be donated from fire victims or created during practice.
- Create a slideshow in remembrance of all the LODD firefighters from your area or the state. Information for this can be found at https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/firefighter-fatalities/
- Show an item as it normally is next to a jar of ash, how it would be if it was destroyed in a fire. Make sure you do your research and scale the ash to item properly.
- Share videos that illustrate fire’s potential for volatile interactions and rapid growth. Videos are available through FSRI and NFPA.
- Invite burn survivors and advocates to come share their stories. Reach out to local non-profit groups and individuals in the community for contacts.
- Share your own stories online, on the local radio station, or in person with your community. Show that firefighters get scared of fire too!
