I just read an article in this morning’s Boston Globe about a grand opening celebration for Restoration Hardware (RH) in Boston. The beautiful building on Berkeley Street has been totally remodeled. A packed grand opening party on March 6th over crowded the store with invitations sent to 5,000 people. People on the first floor of the building could hardly move. Invited guests were entering through the main entrances as well as the catering entrance. Fortunately, by 7:30 pm, the Boston police and fire officials were at the store closing down the event before a tragedy happened. This is a reminder for everyone: when you enter a public building, if it feels overcrowded and you do not feel safe, leave immediately. Check out our Safety in Places of Public Assembly safety tips sheet which has reminders for people to consider when entering any public assembly building – including...
Read MoreSparky’s cootie catcher game; fun for all
Looking for something fun to do with the kids? Check out Sparky's cootie catcher. Print, fold and play. It is that easy. Get your fortune, jokes and since it is Sparky's cootie catcher, you might just find some fire-safety messages included. The cootie catcher is great for getting kids engaged. You can use for school visits, open houses, scout troops, after school programs and even parties. Let us know what you think and how you use the...
Read MoreStay in the kitchen when cooking on the stove top!
Last weekend I celebrated my birthday with my family at my favorite Italian restaurant in the North End of Boston – Ristorante Limoncello. While eating some wonderful bread with olive oil and parmesan cheese, I heard sirens and saw red lights flashing against the buildings on the narrow street. Two engines arrived and stopped right in front of the restaurant. Of course, I was interested in what was going on. I excused myself from the table and went outside to speak to a couple of the fire fighters. They told me it was in an apartment and probably something on the stovetop. From the response of the fire fighters, it seemed like this was a routine occurrence. Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. Please keep an eye on what you fry. Stay in the kitchen when you are frying, grilling or broiling food. Check out our cooking safety tips sheet. It has good information that just might keep you fire safe in the kitchen. The fire department left the scene and my dinner celebration...
Read MoreSparky the Fire Dog’s birthday is this month and he’s having treats to celebrate
I have two dogs and they love any kind of treats. As a matter of fact, they go bonkers for them. Sparky the Fire Dog loves treats too and it's his birthday so we're celebrating all month long. For Sparky’s party, we made some easy dog treats. So why not throw a party for your dog? Check out Sparky.org for the cool-to-dos and check out Sparky the Fire Dog’s party kit that provides everything you need to create a special day for your little...
Read MoreRolf Jensen Grant winner chosen
Springfield Fire Department, Springfield, Massachusetts, is the winner of the 2013 Rolf H.Jensen Memorial Public Education Grant. The $5,000 grant will support the department’s “Multi-Language Public Education Fire Safety Initiative”concentrating on Springfield’s growing population of Somali, Russian, Nepali,Vietnamese, and Latino immigrants. The initiative will also reach out to residents over the age of 65. Springfield has experienced a sharp decline in industry, jobs, and population over the past few decades and has one of the highest rates of concentrated poverty in the United States. In 2010, 88 percent of building fires took place in residential properties, with unattended cooking or unsafe cooking practices accounting for 61 percent. English is spoken as a second language in 34 percent of households, compared with 21 percent statewide. Fire safety programs will be conducted primarily at cultural and community centers. The program will be evaluated using a three-part approach: a before-and-after comparison of volume of emergency responses, instructor evaluations, and a10-question survey completed by...
Read MoreHave NFPA public education materials saved a life in your community or family?
The public education division is busy creating more materials for you to use in your community. Some of the resources you will find on nfpa.org include our educational programs. The Learn Not to Burn® Preschool Program, Learn Not to Burn® Grade 1 and Remembering When™: a fire and fall prevention program for older adults provide you with everything you need to implement a formal educational program. Our safety tips sheets have been so successful, we keep adding more. The community kits provide everything you need to do an outreach program including media materials, print ads, talking points and safety tips sheets. If you plan to reach people with disabilities, we have created resources for you to use. And, Sparky® the Fire Dog’s website is updated monthly with new fun things to do. With all these great resources available, we hope you are using them. Has your use of the materials helped save a life in your community or family? Did a family practice their home fire drill and have to use it in an actual emergency situation? Did someone learn about fall prevention in a Remembering When presentation and have grab bars installed in their shower? Did someone install smoke alarms in their home because you provided them with our smoke alarm safety tips sheet? Did a game on Sparky’s website get your family to test their smoke alarms? We want to hear from you. Let us know how our materials made a difference. You can be a safety...
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