Interest in Fire Education Raised by Awareness Week
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The first annual Fire Education Awareness Week was celebrated this year by the North Carolina fire service.
The Charlotte, Fire Department participated in the statewide effort last February that made the public aware of the fire prevention and emergency action training programs that were available from fire departments.
Although we presented programs to more than 48,000 persons—-from day care children to hospital staffs and industrial fire brigades—we felt that even more interest could be stimulated by a week dedicated to fire education.
The news media was invited to an unveiling ceremony for the first of six billboards located around the city to advertise Fire Education Awareness Week. The ceremony featured a speech by Fire Chief Jack Lee and a proclamation by Mayor Eddie Knox. A local advertising company supplied the boards at a discount rate for the month and provided the art work for the billboard poster resembling a valentine card. (Valentine’s Day fell in the middle of the week.)
Fliers mailed
In addition, 90,000 fliers were mailed in city water bills announcing the week’s events, stating basic statistics about fire occurrence in Charlotte and giving fire safety tips. Public service announcements were sent to all area radio and television stations and fire inspectors appeared on community affairs television programs to talk and answer questions about fire education.
During the week displays were set up at three shopping malls and presentations were made by the fire prevention bureau and the training division. Citizens were encouraged to sign up for fire safety programs and home inspections, and the city’s fire stations were open to the public for tours.
Keeping in mind the possibility that citizens might see Fire Education Awareness Week as a duplication of Fire Prevention Week, we did not use Smokey the Bear or Sparky the fire dog costumes, as we do during Fire Prevention Week, and we tried not to stress fire prevention tips directly. Instead, we emphasized the need for an understanding of fire prevention and emergency action procedures through educational presentations.
Accomplishments cited
Although there was no noticeable increase in the number of calls for programs, we do feel that:
- The fire department received exposure in its fire prevention efforts.
- Citizens were reminded of the fire problem.
- 3. Citizens were made aware of a service they perhaps did not know existed.
Next year we intend to promote the week again with a few changes. We hope to involve school children in the week’s activities by encouraging them to draw pictures, clip newspaper articles and write pamphlets pertaining to fire safety for display in shopping malls. Rather than just having posters and pamphlets at the static displays, we will have scenes with manikins involved in fire hazards, such as smoking in bed. We also hope to schedule more television and radio appearances.
Fire prevention education has great potential for minimizing property damage by fire and reducing burn injuries and deaths. Fire Education Awareness Week plays a part in stimulating public interest in fire safety.
