Dust Off Your Pub-Ed
I found Sparky the Fire Dog when I was installing a new smoke detector in one of my basement storage areas. His old leather helmet needed dusting and it sat a little tilted on his peeling head.
My dad made that Sparky costume for his volunteer fire department more than 30 years ago and wore it for parades, holiday parties at the station and during Fire Prevention Week festivities. This was long before a department could buy these costumes, either because of availability or cost. He constructed the oversized dalmatian head out of paper mâché and riveted upholstery material to the head for floppy ears. I sewed the black-and-white spotted fur into a body for him. Dad used white cotton gloves for the paws and he wore old black rubber boots.
Fire Prevention Week support materials have come a long way in years since then. This year’s theme, Prevent Home Fires, is proclaimed on large banners outside fire stations. From Oct. 5–11, fire departments are encouraged to host open houses and provide information packets targeted to children, homeowners and seniors, though many departments across the nation will begin hosting educational programs earlier.
As part of Fire Prevention Week, fire departments in Chicago’s western suburbs will hold their annual silent parade on Oct. 10. The parade honors both firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty and civilians who have died as a result of fire. Fire apparatus pass through several towns and end with a memorial service in the last town. The parade is solemn with only a display of lights — no sirens, marching bands, flag-waving or festivities.
“We tell ourselves that Fire Prevention Week is really just the culmination of a year-long effort to prevent fires, and in many communities this is so,” said Marcia Giesler, public-information officer for the Downers Grove (Ill.) Fire Department. “How often during the organization of these events do we stop to remember the reasons we feel so strongly about preventing deaths caused by fires?”
Firefighters stand among the families and neighbors along the route, watching as more than 30 pieces of equipment silently pass. Local residents are encouraged to watch the parade and hold American flags or flashlights.
“Many of those killed by fire are our own friends, relatives and fellow firefighters,” Giesler said. “In the midst of open houses, school programs and exciting demonstrations, we need to take the time to honor our comrades and the civilians who have lost their lives to fire.”
But before we get to Fire Prevention Week, the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation will hold the 27th National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend this weekend in Emmitsburg, Md. It is appropriate that the NFFF and the U.S. Fire Administration honor fallen firefighters before Fire Prevention Week. The losses should reinforce the importance of fire-prevention education.
The NFFF and USFA will unveil a new plaque with the names of 101 firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2007, including the nine Charleston, S.C., firefighters who died in the Super Sofa Store fire last June, along with the names of nine firefighters who died in previous years.
Whatever you do for Fire Prevention Week, remember why you do it.
