Fire Prevention Week 2008

We are just concluding a very busy and successful fire prevention week here in the Des Moines area. Sparky has been very busy with prevention activities every day!

We started last week with our "Delivering Fire Prevention" program where LAFS For Life teamed up with Des Moines Fire, Papa Johns Pizza, State Farm and the Greater Des Moines Safe Kids Coalition. Sparky rode the fire truck and we selected families randomly that ordered pizza delivery that night Their pizzas were delivered with a fire truck in tow. We proceeded to test smoke detectors in the homes with pizza delivery. If their smoke detectors worked, they received a coupon for a FREE pizza. Every home we entered were given a combination smoke/carbon monoxide detector.

We discovered some alarming statistics:

• Of the 18 homes visited we were able to enter 15 of the homes.


• 8 homes had NO smoke detectors.


• We found a total of 13 smoke detectors of which 11 of them worked.


• 16 smoke detectors were given away.


• 43 informational packets were distributed to interested neighbors.

We have one one pizza delivery remaining which will take place in Ankeny, IA on the evening of October 16th.

Sparky "edutained" at the Des Moines Fire Department's Fire Prevention Week Open House, which was held last Sunday at Firestation #3. It was a beautiful fall day and the public came out to spent an enlightening afternoon at the firestation. There were numerous educational displays for families to see and learn about fire prevention/safety. The Fire Safety House was on site for tours.

I kept busy all week long presenting educational programming in 4 schools and one senior living apartments. I was able to educate over 1,100 people this week. I presented all-school assemblies to 2 elementary schools and programming to all first graders of 2 elementary schools.

I was able to send out prevention messages to over a hundred elementary classrooms through our new video e-mail program through Talk Fusion.

This week was a milestone for LAFS For Life as we celebrated 10 years of providing educational programming in Des Moines and beyond! Over the past 10 years we have had the opportunity to present educational safety programs to over 150,000 children and older adults!!!!

Fire Prevention Week may have come to a close, but LAFS For Life will continue to work year-round with their prevention efforts. If you would like to follow our schedule, you can do so at our online calendar of events: http://www.lafsforlife.org/LAFS-Calendar_of_Events.html

Remember, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!"