Those who can … share how they do it with their peers. The NFPA Spotlight on Public Education (SOPE) conference is an exciting and cost-effective way to connect with fire and life safety professionals for learning, sharing, and networking. This “conference within a conference” is specially designed for professionals to educate and empower their communities for fire, burn, and related hazards prevention. Now in its seventh year, SOPE takes place Monday and Tuesday, June 19 and 20, at the 2023 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. Registration for SOPE includes eight unique fire and life safety–related workshops, access to the Expo floor and General Session, and a dedicated lounge for people to network and grab a snack. SOPE participants also have free admission to the “Community Risk Reduction: Making Neighborhoods Safer” workshop on Wednesday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This year’s workshops cover a variety of topics for learning and skill development, including:   ·      Promoting public education programs: From the firehouse kitchen table to the community ·      Adverse childhood experiences and CRR: Mitigation with evidence-based approaches ·      Fire prevention education programs: Engaging the community ·      Data-driven prevention programs for older adults ·      Demonstrating results: Evaluating your fire and life safety efforts ·      Fire Prevention Week™: Repurposing history to create informed communities ·      Enhancing fire safety education with virtual reality ·      Utilizing community partnerships to save lives   Register for the 2023 Spotlight on Public Education today. At $125, it’s a great value for dedicated fire and life safety professional development and networking in sunny Las Vegas! Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in fire and life safety education.

The NFPA® Spotlight on Public Education (SOPE) conference is an exciting and cost-effective way to connect with fire and life safety content and professionals from a wide range of specialties. Now in its seventh year, SOPE takes place Monday and Tuesday, June 19 and 20, at the 2023 NFPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. This engaging “conference within a conference” provides professional development and networking for fire and life safety, burn prevention, injury prevention, and public health educators. Registration for SOPE includes eight unique fire and life safety related workshops, access to the Expo floor and General Session, and a dedicated lounge for people to network and grab a snack.  SOPE participants also have free admission to the “Community Risk Reduction: Making Neighborhoods Safer” workshop on Wednesday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. This year’s workshops cover a variety of topics for learning and skill development: ·      Promoting public education programs: From the firehouse kitchen table to the community ·      Adverse childhood experiences and CRR: Mitigation with evidence-based approaches ·      Fire prevention education programs: Engaging the community ·      Data-driven prevention programs for older adults ·      Demonstrating results: Evaluating your fire and life safety efforts ·      Fire Prevention Week™: Repurposing history to create informed communities ·      Enhancing fire safety education with virtual reality ·      Utilizing community partnerships to save lives   Register for the 2023 Spotlight on Public Education. At $125, it’s a great value for dedicated fire and life safety professional development and networking in sunny Las Vegas! Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in Fire and Life Safety education.

Each year, the NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award is presented to a fire service educator who takes the lead role in making their communities safer. Since 2000, the Public Education Division of NFPA has presented this prestigious award, highlighting the great work being done in the field of fire and life safety (FLS) education.     RELATED: Read about the 2022 winner here.   This award is given yearly to a North American FLS educator who meets the following criteria:    Works for a local/municipal fire department or fire marshal’s office. Uses NFPA educational programs and materials in a consistent and creative way for their community/audience. Demonstrates excellence and innovation in reaching out to the community with NFPA materials.   The Educator of the Year receives: $1,000 honorarium which recipients can accept or forward to the charity of their choice. Sparky the Fire Dog® statue Paid registration to attend the NFPA Conference & Expo® from June 19–23 in Las Vegas. Additional $1,000 donation to the recipient’s local fire department or the fire marshal’s office to support public education activities.   The nomination period is open through March 28, 2023. To submit your nomination, visit the  NFPA Fire and Life Safety Educator of the Year Award page to download the form and submit the nomination and support materials. Questions can be sent to education@nfpa.org. Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook, and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in fire and life safety education.

A major lesson of the 2022 Fire Prevention Week™ theme “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.”™ is that today’s home fires burn hotter and faster than ever, leaving occupants with as little as two minutes or less to safely escape from the time the smoke alarm sounds. Planning and practicing Home Fire Escape with all members of the household and having working smoke alarms are two critical elements increasing residents’ chances of surviving a home fire.  For community members living in apartment and high-rise buildings, additional considerations may be needed for home fire safety planning. This can include communicating with the landlord/manager about the building’s safety features, practicing fire drills with neighbors, and knowing when to shelter in place rather than escape. The new Fire Safety in the City kit was developed to provide a simple, picture-filled way to teach about the unique considerations for home fire escape planning in multifamily housing. This kit includes information on escape, smoke alarms, and keeping children away from items that can burn or start fires, such as lighters and matches.  Help your community members navigate their apartment/high-rise living spaces by educating them on the importance of escape planning using these resources along with our High-Rise Apartment & Condominium Safety Tip Sheet and our new Older Adult Home Fire Escape video.  Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook, and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in fire and life safety education.

The new year brings hopes of fresh starts and new habits.  Fire and life safety (FLS) educators can support their communities in making fire safety a habit by highlighting the unique fire risks and prevention tips during the winter months. The annual Put a Freeze on Winter Fires campaign, with assets co-developed by NFPA® and the US Fire Administration (USFA), offers FLS educators dedicated infographics, downloadable social media assets, and data to share with the community. Heating, winter storms, and the increased use of space heaters, candles, and portable generators all contribute to the fire and carbon monoxide risks in the winter months.  Half of all home heating fires occur December through February. Space heaters are the type of equipment most often involved in home heating equipment fires, accounting for one-third of the fires, as well as the majority of deaths and injuries in home fires caused by heating equipment.  And home fires caused by candles is highest in December and January.* Kick off the new year helping you community build fire safety habits with these assets along with the Dan Doofus Heating Safety video from NFPA and our 10 Tips to Get Ahead of the Winter Freeze with space to add your department/organization logo for co-branding. Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook, and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in fire and life safety education. *Statistics provided by NFPA Applied Research Division.

My favorite thing to do each season and holiday is to decorate. Whether it’s for the fall, Christmas, or Chinese New Year, I bring up my boxes of lights, decorations, and tableware from the basement and have at it.  (That’s a piece of my mantle pictured here.)  While fun and festive, decorations can increase the risk of home fire.  US fire departments respond to just under 800 home decoration fires (not including Christmas trees) each year. More than two of every five decoration fires happen because decorations are placed too close to a heat source.* The NFPA® Winter Holidays page has information and resources to support fire and life safety (FLS) education efforts during this time of year, including tip sheets, videos, and downloadable social media assets. Candle safety tips Consider battery operated flameless candles (which look like real candles). Keep candles out of the reach of children and pets. Do not place lighted candles where they can be knocked over by children, pets, or anyone else. Keep candles at least 12 inches (30 cm) from anything that can burn, such as furniture, curtains, and other decorations. Blow out all candles when you leave the room and/or go to bed. Safe lighting tips Check electrical cords often. Replace cracked, damaged, and loose electrical or extension cords. Do not try to repair them. Use lights that are listed by a qualified testing laboratory.Check the label. Follow manufacturer's instructions on how many strings of lights you can connect. Some lights are approved for indoor and/or outdoor use.Check the label to make sure you are using the proper lights for your needs. Watch and share the Deck the Halls with Fire Safety video.   *Statistics provided by NFPA Applied Research Division. Follow me on Twitter @AndreaVastis, Sparky the Fire Dog® on Twitter and Facebook, and NFPA on Instagram to keep up with the latest in fire and life safety education.