Sparky the Fire Dog And FASNY Spread A Lifesaving Message on the CBS Early Show
October 4, 2009
Flanked by members of the Manhasset-Lakeville Volunteer Fire Department, Sparky the Fire Dog appeared on CBS News-The Early Show during Fire Prevention Week last month
Reducing fire and burn risks at home was the top priority during this year’s National Fire Prevention Week, observed October 4-10. The Firemen’s Association of the State of New York (FASNY) teamed up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to help bring safety messages into homes across the state, urging families to remain fire-safe using a Fire Inspection Checklist in their homes.
“Fire safety begins at home, and the more we can get each member of the family involved, the better,” said FASNY President Thomas J. Cuff. “We’re proud to partner with the NFPA in providing families with tools such as the Fire Inspection Checklist to make home fire prevention easier.”
Last year there were an estimated 1,451,500 reported fires and 3,320 associated civilian deaths in the United States, with many of those victims being children. Because of this fact, in 2009, FASNY placed a special emphasis on educating youngsters. Through this outreach children learn that the best line of defense in preventing house fires starts with fun and interactive fire education.
The NFPA’s Sparky the Fire Dog helps children realize that fire prevention can be less work and more fun. Sparky’s interactive arcade, which can be found by going to NFPA.org, has fun games that teach kids what fire safety equipment looks like, provides question and answer games to crack safety codes, and contains coloring pages for younger children who are not able to read yet.
Sparky and his friends at the Manhasset-Lakeville Fire Department were interviewed outside of the CBS Early Show studios by anchors Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. Chief Uttaro of the M-LFD talked about the importance of learning fire prevention and following safety tips.
Jeffrey Burkhart, Chair of the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Committee for FASNY, says, “Fire Prevention is not just once a week, but 52 weeks a year. Sparky the Fire Dog is smart to help us ‘sniff’ out fires before they even have a shot of starting.”
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