Your local business can be a large part of the community effort to educate about fire safety and prevent fires! Every year, fires are prevented by kids who have been taught the basics of fire safety in their community. Be part of the answer in your own part of town, and provide fun, educational materials.
While fire safety week traditionally falls in October, knowing about fire prevention is important all year round. Here are a few things you can do to help kids in your neighborhood be more safety conscious.
- Hold a fire safety event. You can get your local fire department to send a truck and a few firefighters, and let them talk to the kids about how to prevent fires. Hand out printed fire safety items and serve free hot dogs!
- Have your business logo and name printed on a variety of fire safety promotional items and use them as giveaways along with a safety handout card. Key rings, cup cozies, and even caps or tee-shirts can make great giveaways to help promote your business and fire prevention.
- Add resources to your offerings. The Fire Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (FEMA) offers preparedness educational materials that can be scaled up or down to meet the age of the audience.
- Create your own materials. Encourage older kids to sit down and sketch the floor plan of their home, then identify exits and a possible meeting place outside in case of fire. While you are at it, make sure your own fire safety exit plan is updated, enlarged, laminated and hung in a prominent place in your business.
- Don’t leave parents out! Ask your local fire marshal to come and present a class on how to properly use a fire extinguisher, and explain how to ensure they are always charged and in full working condition. You might even stock up on inexpensive smoke detectors or fire extinguishers to brand and give away, one to a family.
- Hand out goody bags! Coloring books, packs of crayons, little firefighter hats, badges and more can be custom printed and given away as part of your fire safety community program. You can even have packs of 9 volt batteries printed up as handouts to encourage families to double check their smoke detectors.
October’s National Fire Prevention Month may serve as an annual reminder for businesses and the general public to reevaluate their fire safety plans and equipment, but you can ensure that kids and parents in your community are always up to date and aware of how to keep their homes and families safe form the threat of accidental fire.