INTRODUCTION

The goal of the IFSA is to create a burning enthusiasm for fire safety education across the state. This goal will be most effectively accomplished through the formation of a cooperative partnership between fire departments, school districts, and homes in all 102 counties. It is the Alliance's objective to reduce the alarming statistics of fire loss (direct link to USFA - Facts on Fire webpage), in both life and property, by implementing fire safety programs in Illinois' schools because "CHILDREN ARE OUR BEST RESOURCE".

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EDUCATION COMMITTEE REPORT

"FIRE SAFETY 911" by Dottie Ahbe

RECIPE FOR “GFUAFS” CD SUCCESS!

• TAKE ONE “GET FIRED UP ABOUT FIRE SAFETY” CD
• ADD A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL(S) AND FIRE DEPARTMENT
• MIX WITH PARENTS / GUARDIANS AT HOME
• STIR IN LOTS OF PREVENTION MESSAGES
• TOP IT OFF WITH THE PROS & CONS OF THE PROGRAM
• TEAM TEACH TO INTEGRATE INTO EXSISTING SCHOOLCURRICULUM
• REPORT YOUR SUMMARY AS SOON AS YOU CAN TO THE IFSA OFFICE!

Since finally arriving, the “GFUAFS” CD has generated comments and questions regarding its use in the realm of prevention. We encourage all of you to stop, drop and roll any comments or questions about the CD our way! Our intention was to provide every fire department with their own copy to be used to initiate, enhance or supplement their existing prevention efforts, as well as, the ability to copy or request additional copies of the CD for the area schools.

As an educational tool, the program is designed for fire service personnel to partner with their local schools, more specifically, a classroom teacher, to allow for the easy integration of the fire prevention lessons into the school curriculum. The successful implementation of the program, whether it is totally or in part, is the partnership component. School personnel are with the students approximately 5 ½ hours each day but by no means possess the fire safety expertise of fire service prevention officers. The TEAM approach is the best practice for reducing the alarming fire statistics. As long as fire and burn prevention education initiatives are in everyone’s future, the method of delivery is immaterial!

An integral part of any educational program is evaluation. In order to improve a program, it must be constantly updated in order to retain its validity. By keeping and then submitting to the Alliance office, an anecdotal summary of your program’s progress, noting successes and failures, as well as recording the pre/post scores, you will be assisting in our mission to provide the best practices in fire and burn prevention education.

A Get Fired Up Award for fire prevention is available for nomination and presented at the Annual Fire Prevention Week Luncheon. (October 11, 2007 at White Eagle in Niles) Watch for details on how to submit your department’s fire safety/prevention program for showcasing at the upcoming “Neighbor to Neighbor” Fire Prevention Showcase Event slated for September 19-20, 2008, sponsored by the IFSA.

We look forward to hearing from any/all of you in the near future. Please don’t hesitate to call/email us if we can assist you in your continued efforts to make fire safety a reality in all Illinois schools!

NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION

PARTNERS IN PREVENTION

The combined efforts of the IFSA staff, ComEd and the educational services and distribution departments of the Chicago Sun-Times, produced a comprehensive and interactive 8-page special section on fire and burn prevention for fourth-grade students and their teachers throughout Illinois.

Nearly 3,400 public, private and parochial schools were targeted and received the fire and burn prevention program. Approximately 500,000 students, primarily fourth-graders, participated in the fire and burn prevention program for five weeks in the fall. In addition, more than 1,200 fire stations and volunteer fire units also received the five week fire and burn prevention program.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• More than 500,000 students throughout Illinois received the fire and burn prevention program for five weeks, September and October.
• Program was distributed to approximately 3,400 schools - public, private and parochial.
• Schools received their delivery of the Chicago Sun-Times beginning the last Tuesday in September and for the following four Tuesdays in October .
• The Chicago Sun-Times were also delivered to more than 1,200 fire stations and fire personnel throughout Illinois during the five-week fire safety focus.
• The special pull-out 8-page section featured: interactive activities, lessons, crossword puzzles, word searches and information regarding fire and burn prevention.
• The special 8-page section runs the second Tuesday of October. Attendees of the IFSA Fire Prevention Week luncheon also received a copy of the special section that same day.
• The Chicago Sun-Times coordinated distribution of school papers and secured FedEx to ensure delivery to schools in outlying areas. Signed affidavits to verify delivery to all schools were requested and received by the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Additionally, on each of the 5 consecutive Tuesdays this fall the fire and burn prevention message ran in every edition of the Chicago Sun-Times reaching more than 1.6 million readers on each of these days.

PROMOTION

• Promotion begins in August to schools and fire stations throughout Illinois
  • School principals were notified via fax and presented an outline of the fire and burn prevention program.
  • Additional faxes were sent to principals with timeline and information about the program dates to include on their school calendar.
  • A fax outlining specific details of the special section was distributed to all participating schools. This included a preview of the section along with sample activities and curriculum information.
  • Fire stations received similar faxes and letters of notification.
  • A total of 4 faxes were sent in advance of the fire safety program.
• From the beginning, informational notices, known as “toppers” were included on top of each week’s delivery of newspapers to schools.
  • Each topper provided additional each week’s previews of the upcoming NIE Weekly: For the Classroom school page and extra interactive student activities.
  • A total of 5 toppers went out for the fire and burn prevention program.
• The Chicago Sun-Times created a fire and burn prevention “customer service hotline”.

PROGRAM FEATURES

• Extensive pre-promotion and weekly communication notifying all participants of the up-coming and on-going fire and burn prevention program.
• Weekly full-page editorial support of fire and burn prevention each Tuesday in the Chicago Sun-Times. The NIE Weekly: For the Classroom school page featured activities, information and more for readers, students and families.
• A special 8-page fire and burn prevention section, created and designed by IFSA and Chicago Sun-Times staff, is produced and inserted into all editions of the Chicago Sun-Times the second Tuesday of October.
• Five weekly deliveries of a classroom set (minimum of 30 copies) of the Chicago Sun-Times was delivered to each participating school throughout Illinois. Additional newspapers were available to all teachers/schools requesting them.
• The fire and burn prevention program received endorsements from Illinois State Board of Education, the Illinois PTA, several fire service organizations and others.

FOLLOW UP

• Each participating school received a letter of thanks on behalf of the partners for their participation in this year’s program.
• Schools also received an evaluation form with a return envelope to complete and return to the Chicago Sun-Times. The evaluations and teacher comments are used to critique and improve future fire and burn prevention programs.
• All participating schools were requested to complete an affidavit of receipt of newspapers and program materials.

TEACHER FEEDBACK

• When asked if their students worked with the local fire departments in conjunction with the fire and burn prevention program.
  • Many of the respondents said yes, they did work with local fire stations/departments.
• When asked how many students used the program at their school.
  • Responses ranged from as few as 20 to 500 students. In several cases, the entire school, responded as participating.
• When asked if the fourth-grades used the special 8-page section.
  • Nearly half the respondents said yes. In addition to 4th grade, many schools noted other grades including: 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th grade students also participated in the program.

Click here to view samples of the eight page section and here to view Sun-Times Readers by Demographic Group.

SCALD PREVENTION

ILLINOIS FIRE SAFETY ALLIANCE ADDRESSES SCALD INJURIES BY PROVIDING ILLINOIS HOSPITAL MATERNITY UNITS WITH “BATH BUDY” (AKA) "TOO HOT FOR TOTS BATH THERMOMETERS"

Scald injuries are painful and require prolonged treatment. They may result in lifelong scarring and even death. Prevention of scalds is always preferable to treatment and can be accomplished through simple changes in behavior and the home environment.

High-risk groups for scalds are infants and young children, older adults and people with disabilities. Most scald burn injuries occur in the home bathroom with hot tap water. In December 1998 the National SAFE KIDS Champaign reported: Nationwide, nearly 24,000 children are treated in hospital emergency departments every year for scald injuries. More than 30 percent of the patients cared for at burn centers in the United States are treated for scalds.

Loyola Medical Center's burn unit reports 63 pediatric scald burns from July 1, 1999 to June 30, 2000. Children under the age of 2 accounted for 40 of the scald burns. Total body surface affected in the pediatric scald burns are as follows:

46 injuries - 0-9% TBSA;
11 injuries - 10-19% TBSA;
6 injuries - 20-29% TBSA.

The average hospital charge for pediatric scald burn patient treated at Loyola Medical Center Burn Unit was $17,187.84, and an average hospital stay was 5.2 days.

In an effort to reduce the number of scald burns the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance is providing Illinois hospital maternity units with "Too Hot For Tots Bath Thermometers" and information on bath safety.

The American Burn Association and the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance recommends the following tips to decrease the risk of tap water scalds:

• Set your home water heater no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit / 48 degrees Celsius. An easy method to test this is to allow hot water to run for three to five minutes, then test with a candy, meat or water thermometer. Adjust the water heater and wait a full day to allow the temperature to change. Re-test and re-adjust as necessary.
• Provide constant adult supervision of young children or anyone who may experience difficulty removing themselves from hot water on their own. Gather all necessary supplies before placing a child in the tub, and keep them within easy reach.
• Fill tub to desired level before getting in. Run cold water first, then add hot. Turn off the hot water first. This can prevent scalding in case someone should fall in while the tub is filling. Mix the water thoroughly and check the temperature by moving your elbow, wrist or hand with spread fingers through the water before allowing someone to get in.
• Install grab bars, shower seats or non-slip flooring in tubs or showers if the person is unsteady or weak.
• Avoid flushing toilets, running water or using the dish or clothes washer while anyone is showering.
• Install anti-scald or tempering devices. These heat sensitive instruments stop or interrupt the flow of water when the temperature reaches a pre-determined level and prevent hot water that is too hot from coming out of the tap.

In an effort to prevent scald burns in the home all babysitters and others who provide care to those in the high-risk group (infants and young children, older adults and people with disabilities) should review the safety tips listed above. Remember the safest temperature for bathing is about 100 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius.

HOME FIRE AND BURN PREVENTION GUIDE

In 1999, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance's Public Education Committee developed a flip chart guide to inform the ADULTS about fire and burn prevention. In the past, we have been focusing on children from pre-school through 6th grade with the "GET FIRED UP ABOUT FIRE SAFETY" program. This fire safety education program deals with teaching children how to properly react to fire situations such as: stop, drop and roll, escape planning, get out and stay out, how to call for help, get below the smoke, meeting place, smoke detectors, fire drills and more. Statistics show that children are not the ones starting most of the fires. Smoking related fires (leading cause of residential fire deaths), heating and cooking fires (leading cause of residential fires), along with misuse of flammable liquids, electricity, and other types of fires, are the direct result of actions by adults.

Click here for the Home Fire and Burn Prevention Guide Order Form (also available in Spanish) or view the online Guide.

GET FIRED UP ABOUT FIRE SAFETY - Reduce the alarming fire loss statistics with fire safety education

The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance urges Teachers and Firefighters to form a partnership, thereby increasing the effectiveness of a new or existing school fire safety program. These comprehensive programs can easily integrate fire safety into any subject area providing skill development, vocabulary, and teaching methods that allow students to grasp and retain the concepts.

In September of 1997, the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance formed a cooperative partnership with the Illinois State Board of Education, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (IL), and the Illinois PTA to help children be fire safe. In addition, this program easily integrates with the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) "Learn Not To Burn" curriculum that can be used as a resource for anyone who wishes to expand their programs. According to the NFPA, Illinois is the only State that has been able to accomplish this kind of goal.

Click here for a Reservation Form for the Get Fired Up About Fire Safety Interactive CD Curriculum. - Coming Soon (For Illinois Only)

ILLINOIS STATE FAIR

The State Fair in Springfield is held in August. The Illinois Fire Safety Alliance sends volunteers to man the fire safety tent for a day. Volunteers can either, provide their own transportation or travel on a bus that we provide. No experience is required.

SHOWCASE ROADSHOW

In an effort to address the needs of the fire service in Illinois, the Illinois State Fire Marshal and Illinois Fire Safety Alliance are collaborating to bring fire safety public awareness and education programs to fire departments throughout the state. The environment of the fire service is one that relies heavily on volunteerism, limited resources, and time constraints to train. This program was developed to address this constituency by bringing a wealth of comprehensive programs to fire departments, thus allowing them the opportunity to reach their communities that would otherwise not be served with this education. This alliance enables the fire service to receive many important programs in their own community.

What we will provide:

• Invitation you could use to invite your neighboring fire departments, MABAS groups, medical community, or anyone that may be interested in hearing about our programs
• A template of a press release for your local media contacts
• Labels with addresses for your area fire departments
• Please post “Flyers” to be included with your invitation
• OSFM will provide continuing education certification
• Presentation of OSFM and IFSA programs

What will your responsibilities be?:

• Have several dates in mind and contact the IFSA
• Provide host site
• Invite attendees
• Keep a list of who is attending
• Let the IFSA know the number of guests that have RSVP’d
• Provide a list of those who have requested the continuing education certification
• A screen for the PowerPoint presentation we will do - please advise if one cannot be provided

We do not provide:

• Catering
• Lodging
• Travel reimbursement

Suggestion to host facility:

Presentation will run approximately 2 hours long. Unless host facility wishes to provide catering, we suggest that the host department schedule presentation mid-morning, mid-afternoon or after dinner time.