Do your children know what to do in a fire?
Do you have a fire evacuation plan?
Have you checked your smoke detectors lately?
Do you know what to do if someone gets burned?
Fire prevention tips, FREE E-Book, and a contest--You could win a fun book and a smoke detector!
TOS wants to help raise fire awareness by educating you and your family with the following resources during Fire Prevention Week:
- Take a few minutes to discuss the fire safety tips written by firefighter Dayna and Sparkles with your family.
- Then download our FREE WannaBe E-Book, I Want to be a Firefighter, and learn what it takes to be a firefighter.
- Finally, let the creativity flow and enter our contest for a chance to win one of two fire prevention prize packs--which include a smoke alarm. TOS cares about your family and wants you to be safe and educated this Fire Prevention Week!
(NFPA logo reproduced from NFPA's Fire Prevention Week Web site, www.firepreventionweek.org. ©2009 NFPA.)
Fire Prevention Week
October 4-10, 2009
NFPA theme: Stay Fire Smart! Don't Get Burned!
The National Fire Prevention Week was established to remember the Great Chicago Fire which began on October 8, 1871, but did its worst damage on October 9. This fire killed 200-300 people and burned more than 17,500 structures. This tragic fire forced the firefighters to rethink fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the International Fire Marshals Association decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should be a time to inform the public about the importance of fire prevention. President Calvin Coolidge signed a proclamation in 1925 to observe the first National Fire Prevention Week.
Five Fire Safety Tips
Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles the Fire
Safety Dog want to share five fire safety tips to help you and your
family stay fire safe.
(Photo courtesy: PBS KIDS Sprout)
Fire safety tips to share with your
children:
- Smoke alarms help keep you safe.
When you hear the sound from a smoke alarm, it is telling you to
"Get out! get out!"
- In case of fire, be sure to crawl
low under the smoke on your hands and knees--the air is cleaner and
cooler there.
- It is important to have an escape
map and an outside meeting place. A tree, a mailbox, or a fence may
make good meeting places.
- Have a home escape map and
practice your home fire drill with your family two times a year.
Firefighters help us to stay safe.
They know how to put out fires. Firefighters wear special clothes to
keep them safe. They will come to help you.
For parents:
1. One of the most important tools to
help you stay safe from fire is a working smoke alarm. It can help save your
life and the lives of your loved ones. According to the Home Safety
Council, more than 95% of the households in a 2004 phone survey had
at least one smoke alarm. Approximately half of all home
fire-related deaths occurred in the roughly 5% of homes without
smoke alarms. However, in homes with smoke alarms in which home
fires were reported, 65% of those homes had smoke alarms that did
not work. Common reasons for non-working smoke alarms were missing,
dead, or disconnected batteries.
- Install smoke alarms on every
level of your home, including the basement.
- Install smoke alarms both inside
and outside sleeping areas.
- Install smoke alarms on the
ceiling or above eye level on the walls, and be sure to follow the
manufacturer's instructions.
- Test the smoke alarm once a month.
- Change the smoke alarm batteries
twice a year.
- Occasionally vacuum smoke alarm to
keep free of dust.
- Replace smoke alarms after 8-10
years.
2. When a fire occurs, the air is
cleaner and cooler 12-24 inches from the floor. Children should
realize the importance of crawling on their hands and knees, not on
their bellies.
3. Be sure to have a designated meeting place and be sure everyone in
your household knows and understands where the meeting place is. A
tree, fence, mailbox, or even the neighbor's house may make good
meeting places.
4. Sit down with your family and make an escape map. Know two ways
out of every room. Practice your home fire drill using your escape map
two times a year.
5. Many times children tend to hide from firefighters during an
actual fire-related situation. Children need to know that
firefighters are helpers and are their friends and are there to help
them.
You can find these and other important fire safety tips at
Sparkles' and Firefighter Dayna's website. Their website features activities for children, including fire safety videos, activity sheets, fire safety tips, and much more! Children can meet Sparkles' friends and see photos of Sparkles at work and at play. They are welcome to submit their fire safety videos and coloring pages to Sparkles, send Sparkles a fire safety related question, or ask Sparkles a question about being a fire safety dog or about firefighters.
God has designed each of us with particular talents and gifts for a purpose. And as a parent, you have the awesome responsibility of guiding your child to discover his/her calling. Enjoy the process of mentoring your children to become what God desires for them as you explore their delighted interest in the various I-wanna-be dream jobs featured at our Schoolhouse Store. For now, enjoy one of our most popular ones,
When I Grow Up, I Want to Be a Firefighter, as our gift to you to learn about becoming a firefighter.
All the kids wonder,
"What would it be like to be a firefighter?"
One
of a young child's favorite field trips is to the fire station. There, he's introduced to Mr. Firefighter, his clunky yet all-important fire suit, the awesome hook-and-ladder truck, and special lifesaving equipment.
You won't want to stop at
just a trip to the fire station though! This study covers so much more--a nitty-gritty, comprehensive, behind-the-scenes look into the life of a firefighter!
Your kids will be captivated by this E-Book! Take a look at some of the interesting topics included:
- Discover the history of firefighters and the evolution of firefighting equipment.
- Explore the ins and outs of a fire truck.
- Meet a real-life fireman and hear him describe his job in his own words.
- Learn about the relationship between firefighters and robots, and build your own robotic arm!
- Enhance math skills while determining a firefighter's salary per city, rank, and seniority.
- Spark creativity with imaginative writing prompts.
- Work with language arts while doing a crossword puzzle, learning "firefighter" vocabulary, and completing a word search.
- Discover what God says about fire in the Bible. Get moving and include physical fitness by playing the games provided.
- Make a fire truck from an old shoe box and decorate it.
Fan the flame of discovery in your child!
All this great information and more is in one of our most popular WannaBe Series™ E-Books, When I Grow Up I Want to Be a Firefighter. This $8.95 value is yours free.
Help your child discover the answer to the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" while learning about becoming a fireman. This could be the spark that ignites the fire of interest for your child--and who knows what path it may take?
Does your child like to read?
What about books on tape?
Would you like a chance to win
fire safety material?
Then we have a contest for you!
In our Firefighter WannaBe E-Book, you will meet a firefighter and learn all there is to know about becoming one. Since firefighters prevent fires and help teach others about prevention, and we have two prize packs to give away, we decided to have a contest for you and your family about fire safety.
(Sparkles with one of the prize packs.)
