Ethan Klussman

Professor Hellmers

English 1201

9 December 2021

Fire Prevention for our Most Vulnerable Population

Today’s world is a much more dangerous place for our children to grow up in.

Especially, when we look at preventable injuries and the way we educate children of all ages.

One area of prevention education we fall short is instructing children about the dangers of fire. 

We see this shortfall in children below the age of 5. Nationwide, there is a need for fire

prevention programs to be more inclusive of children in the 2-5-year-old age range. This age

group is more likely to be injured or killed in a fire, but we need to be cautious and not narrow

our focus to just young children. There is lack of consistency in fire prevention education and

that can have catastrophic effects on thousands of lives each year. There is a need to develop a

more well-balanced approach to teaching our youth the dangers of fire. There is a disconnect in

how, when, and why fire departments need to present this message to begin reducing preventable

injuries and deaths in children.

There are thousands of fire and police departments, across the country, putting on safety

programs for children. Specifically, fire departments create or adopt generic programs to educate

children about fire hazard recognition. The industry needs to evaluate if their fire prevention

education programs are effectively impacting the intended audience. The goal of these fire

prevention programs should be to reduce, or eliminate, childhood injuries caused by fire. To

understand the challenges and begin improving prevention programs, there is a need to
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continually assess the programs in place. Reaching the right audience, including the 2-5-year-old

audience, fire departments need to be evaluating the program against these questions. Is the

department targeting the right audience? Are they utilizing the proper tools to get the message

out? How effective is the current method of instruction? Is the investment too much or not

enough to achieve the goal? Where will funding come from?

In researching the most common cause of death in children, Cunningham, Walton,

and Carter, state that injuries are the cause of 60% of childhood deaths. In a list of the top 10

injuries, fires or burns came in as the 9th highest reason for these fatal injuries. To put this in

perspective, the leading cause of fatal injuries in children is motor vehicle crashes. In fact, most

of the top 10 reasons on the list are preventable and areas that more safety and prevention

education could help reduce or prevent. So why are these injuries, specifically burns, continually

high on the list?  It is due to an inadequate approach to fire prevention. Fire prevention programs

are not new and there are many different styles, tools, and delivery methods. Reviewing these

programs and implementing the proper program will be key to affecting change in the

community and reducing the risks.

Many small to mid-sized agencies do not have the resources to implement a wide

sweeping fire prevention campaign. Other agencies, typically the larger metropolitan

departments like New York or Chicago, devote an entire division to fire prevention education.

This disparity in resources could be a factor in why some departments are succeeding in fire

prevention education and why others are not. The size of the prevention division is not the key

factor but the ability to reach the right audience is. One other factor to consider, would be the

lack of a formalized program that allows for the training of department educators. This training is

essential to equip them to go and effectively teach the message to children, and adults as well.
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This program needs to highlight the differences in how educators relate to different age groups

across our target audiences. Each age group has a unique challenge regarding the message and

how it is delivered. Understanding the audience and tailoring the message is the first, and maybe

the most important factor in fire prevention.

Is the fire service targeting the right audience? In reviewing “Evaluation of a Fire Safety

Training Program for Preschool Children”, they studied a program, “Kid Safe”, developed by the

Oklahoma City Fire Department. This program was used to improve fire safety knowledge in

preschoolers. They go on to state that children under 5 are 2.5 times more likely die in a fire than

any other childhood group [ CITATION McC96 \l 1033 ].  Sirianni states, “Education is one of the

greatest tools available to help the United States succeed in fire safety and knowledge, and that

includes educating ourselves in how other countries tackle this problem.” Sirianni goes on to talk

about not only educating through the primary grades but even through college age students as

well. The risks and outcomes are still present through early adulthood and need to be

mitigated.  Ensuring fire prevention programs are diverse and not focusing on one specific age

group will allow the program to be more successful.

Currently, many departments across the State of Ohio, and the country, do not have a

formal education plan or program for children [ CITATION Jen21 \l 1033 ]. Snyder states how nearly

every fire department she interacts with is missing the mark on the audience they present to. She

goes on to say that, globally, departments are focusing on the kindergarten through middle

school age groups. “These age groups are important”, she says but “our educators have to think

outside that box”. Snyder went on to explain that our pre-kindergarten age groups are the most

vulnerable and susceptible group to be injured in a fire. If departments do not target the 2-5 year-

old audience, Snyder emphasized we are failing as an industry and missing out on a key
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demographic. She did go on to say that our audience should include high school and college age

students as well. These other two age ranges need to have the fire safety message reinforced and

those groups present a new set of challenges and educational opportunities.

Snyder explained how her mission is twofold. She is expertly trained to go out and be the

educator and she is a specialist in training others to be able to go and teach. By training up

trainers, the fire prevention message can be exponentially increased, and many more lives can be

impacted. She trains fire departments members how to read their audience and understanding

how to tailor the message so the audience will have a more comprehensive awareness of the

dangers of fire and fire prevention. Snyder reiterated that a one size fits all approach will not

have the desired affect and leave agencies with a false sense of security that they are successfully

carrying out the mission of the department.

Children learn in a variety of ways based on their age and learning capabilities. This

means the fire service needs to be creative and learn to utilize a variety of tools and platforms to

accomplish the mission of fire prevention education. Kiurski outlines how fire station tours,

school visits, homeowner’s association, church groups, block parties, and open houses all play a

part of the education process. Utilizing all these resources allows the fire department to use

different mediums to engage with the audiences. It also provides opportunities to engage with

kids in different environments that may lend to a more constructive learning experience. One key

factor to all these methods is finding the right personnel that are excited, motivated, and

engaging for the learners. If the wrong educator is selected, it could negatively impact the

experience.

When a department utilizes the proper tools and setting, the impact it has on the kids is

phenomenal. For example, a fire department goes out to present to a group of 1st grade students.
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These students are excited by the men and women in uniform. Just showing up in their uniform

garners a lot of respect from the kids, and the adults as well. This is the first step in capturing

their attention. How the crews interact with the students and staff is the next piece of a successful

program. All too often departments send out ill equipped members to teach and they fail to

realize the importance of the way they interact is just as important as the message they deliver. If

the person presenting does not bring a sense of positive energy and enthusiasm, then the

audience may not feel the importance of the message. Kids tend to feed off the mood and tone

set by the adults around them.

Part of presenting to this first-grade audience is also about props. Kids in general are

inquisitive and what to touch, see, and experience everything. So, having a firefighter show up in

uniform is cool but having that firefighter

put on the fire gear is much more

effective. This is another way to engage

the students. As the firefighter puts on

his/her gear, one of the other team

members can be explaining how they put

Figure 1 Firefighter Teaching Children
it on and why they wear the gear. For this

age group, it is important for them to see what a firefighter looks like in normal clothes and the

progression to what they look like in all their fire gear (See figure 1). This transformation allows

them to see that this is still the same person and that no-one should be afraid to approach them.

To wrap up this part of the educational piece, it is paramount that the kids be able to come up

and touch, give a high five, or even hug the firefighter in his/her gear. This tactile demonstration

is a reinforcing event that demonstrates the firefighter is a safe person to approach.

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It is just as important to consider the venue when discussing a successful fire prevention

program. Many departments go to the school to present their message. In general, this is because

it is convenient, low to no cost, and a safe and comfortable environment for the students. With all

these factors in mind, fire departments, educators, and parents should look for other creative

ways to engage children of all age groups. As previously mentioned, fire station tours, church

visits, block parties and open houses held at the fire station are all exceptional ways to connect

with people from all ages. Taking these opportunities to craft fire prevention messages and

demonstrations will prove valuable in our mission to prevent deaths and injuries caused by fire.

So, preplanning these events, staffing with the right personnel, having educational materials (i.e.

coloring books, pamphlets, videos, etc.), and engaging the audience with the proper message

could lead to a successful connection and impact the participants to be more “fire safe”.

All the ideas mentioned previously are typically achievable for most departments because

of the low cost and limited resource commitment required. There are three major factors that

hinder fire departments from implementing a successful, all encompassing, fire prevention

campaign. They are time commitment, personnel resources, and money. If any one of these

components is missing, then the program will either be deficient and not reach the intended

audiences, or it will be defunct in a short period of time.

In talking with fire chiefs from across the country, the biggest challenge is the budget

impact of these prevention programs. Administrators are always looking to justify or cut

expenditures and these types of programs are no exception. From personnel, literature, tools, and

media costs, prevention activities can have a significant impact on a fire department’s budget.

How does a fire department know if the message is having an impact? How do they afford to

provide a quality program that will reach the intended audience? Well, in New York City, the
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fire department was able to get private donations to fund a $3 million museum and theatre to

educate school aged children and other visitors[ CITATION Hof04 \l 1033 ]. This one of a kind

experience puts the learner in a real-world environment, showing the devastation a fire can

cause. The instructor, a retired firefighter, brings to life the message as the audience watches

film, interacts with the props, and hears the information from an expert. But all of this has a

significant cost. For New York, it was paid for by contributions from businesses. How do other

fire departments meet the need to educate the children and perform this task within the confines

of their budget? This is a challenge for all administrators, to prove the cost-benefit reasoning to

the elected officials and the public.

The previous example is a rare gem in the world of fire prevention. It is uncommon for

private industry to finance a project of this magnitude. Fire departments look to the state and

federal government for grant funding. Municipalities across the country are struggling to fund

fire departments adequately. This leaves little to no budget for non-response activities like fire

prevention. “Funding for fire prevention always seems to be lacking.” [ CITATION Bra18 \l 1033 ].

He goes on to say that fire prevention funding should be first. Proper funding could reduce the

amount of work a department is responsible for by eliminating some of the problems through

education. Regarding funding, departments are left asking for handouts to fund special projects

like fire prevention. Whether through government grants, or private donations, public safety

organizations need to be creative in obtaining funding to support these projects.

One affordable approach for fire departments to institute a fire prevention program, is to

invest in a fire safety trailer (See Fig 2). These trailers are powerful props that can be taken to

schools, daycares, churches, block parties, etc. They are customizable to deliver a message that

can reach a wide variety of audiences, from toddlers through adults. The fire service may find
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better success reaching the 2-5-year-old audience with these trailers. They can be taken to the

daycare centers, where, during business hours, we find the biggest concentration of children in

this age range. This allows the message to be carried out through the utilization of props and not

just words. Involving the tactile, visual,

and hearing senses will lead to a better

comprehension. The trailer incorporates

all these senses if utilized appropriately.

The way the trailer is designed,

they generally have a sleeping room, a

kitchen, and can incorporate a bathroom.

These are the most common areas where

hazards are located that injure or kill children. The kitchen has a stove and other appliance that

allow the instructors to teach not only fire safety but also kitchen safety. The bedroom prop is

utilized to teach children about how to safely assess their exit from a hazardous environment

(See figure 3). This includes feeling for a hot door, and the trailer has heaters in the doors to

simulate this, as well as how to stay low under the smoke. Nearly all fire safety trailers have

machines built into them so they can fill different rooms with smoke to simulate a fire. This

realistic, but safe and controlled, approach allows the students to get a small glimpse of what

they could encounter.

Another key component

to effectively utilizing

this trailer is

incorporating the built-in

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smoke detectors. Young children, and even some adults, have never heard what a smoke detector

sounds like and the sound alone can be frightening. Having the smoke detector go off when the

smoke begins to come in the room is a vital part of the lesson. It adds realism to the training and

the instructor can be a calming force if anyone starts to panic. All these props come at a cost and

it is up to the local jurisdiction to determine funding and perform a cost benefit analysis.

Fire prevention trailers can be built just for fire safety, or they can be “upgraded” to

include props for severe weather safety too. Having a multifunctional training prop could allow

for a higher rate of return on hazard recognition for the students. The investment for these trailers

can range from $100,000 to $200,000+ but they are a fraction of the training building we saw

built in New York, for over $3,000,000. Funding for these training trailers can be from several

different sources, such as federal grants, state grants, local budget funding, or private sector

donations.

Of these funding sources, grant funding from the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) is the hardest to come by but this grant has the largest dollar amount to award

local jurisdictions to pay for projects like these. The federal grants are competitive and hard to

secure. In 2020, the Fire Prevention and Safety grant Program, supported by FEMA, had $35.5

million in funding to award to agencies for fire prevention. The total number of agencies

awarded funding, were only 100 [ CITATION FEM20 \l 1033 ]. Each year FEMA receives several

thousand applications for fire safety funding. Due to the competitive nature of the federal grants,

departments need to look to other sources as well. Unfortunately, state and local grant money is

just as competitive, so fire departments need to continually be creative in locating and securing

funding for these prevention projects.

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As we have seen, the props are not the only costs associated with a successful fire

prevention program. The other significant cost, maybe even higher than the prop costs, are ones

associated with personnel. Some departments, like New York City, dedicate over 100 personnel

to fire prevention activities. In contrast, most smaller communities struggle to find funding to

have one person assigned to fire prevention activities. These personnel, assigned to teach fire

prevention, need to be dedicated, motivated, and able to communicate effectively with a wide

variety of audiences. Funding is not the only limiting factor for most departments but finding the

right person/people is equally as challenging. This puts a burden on the department to find

funding, recruit and retain the right people, and be able to develop a program that is multifaceted

and capable of reaching audience that ages range from 2- 90 years old. Fortunately, FEMA has

developed curriculum to assist fire departments by given them a tool to deliver this prevention

message to audiences of all ages. Although this curriculum is generic, it can be tailored as a local

jurisdiction deems necessary [ CITATION FEM21 \l 1033 ].

One of the last major hurdles fire departments face, is the time commitment fire

prevention activities take to perform. These programs are time consuming and can take weeks,

even months, to reach all the audiences in the local jurisdiction. Most jurisdictions are

performing these duties with crews that are riding on a fire truck and still responsible to

emergency calls for service. It is tough task to get to all these assignments and do them well. For

example, a small preschool that has eight (8) classes of ten (10) students, requires the

crew/instructors to hold eight (8) different sessions. With each session lasting approximately 30

minutes, the crew would spend over four (4) hours educating these children. The crew has other

duties like fire inspections, checking fire hydrants, daily training, as well as respond to calls for

service. Adding fire prevention details to these crews can overwhelm them, and more
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importantly, it may delay the crew from responding to an emergency. Additionally, most line

firefighters are not trained to be educators. This can lead to a diminished message to the audience

and a decrease in retention of the information.

As fire departments across the country address the challenges of providing a fire

prevention program, it is imperative that they begin to look at their targeted audience. It is

evident that fire departments in the Southwest Ohio Region are missing the mark and not

reaching the younger Pre-Kindergarten age group. These students are more than 2.5 times as

likely to get killed or injured in a fire [ CITATION McC96 \l 1033 ]. By re-evaluating the intended

audience to include these children, utilizing props that can allow them to use the tactile, visual,

and hearing senses, along with a trained educator, we can begin reducing the injuries and deaths

to this age group. The challenges with funding, personnel, and time management are an obstacle

but they can be overcome. It will take dedication and perseverance by fire administrative

personnel to mitigate these challenges. It should be the mission of every fire agency to ensure

children are given the tools to impact their own safety.

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Works Cited
Brant, Jerry. "Do you have funding in place for your fire prevention program?" 16 August 2018. Fire
Rescue 1. Web. 20 October 2021.

Cunningham, Rebecca M., Maureen A. Walton and Patrick M. Carter. The Major Causes of Death in
Children and Adolescents in the United States. 20 December 2018. Web. 20 October 2021.
<https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmsr1804754>.

FEMA. "Fire Safety Trailer Curriculum." 2021. FEMA.gov. Web. 25 October 2021.
<https://www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fire_safety_trailer_curriculum.pdf>.

—. "Fiscal Year 2020 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program Notice of Funding Opportunity
(NOFO)." 2020. FEMA.gov. Web. 25 October 2021.

Hoffman, Claire. "A Place for Ex-Firefighters to Teach Fire Safety to Children." New York Times. Vol. 153.
52784. New York, 10 3 2004. B8. Print.

Kiurski, TOM. "Stay Current on Fire Safety Education." 1 Jan 2010. Fire Engineering. Web. 20 October

2021.

McConnell, Charles, Frank Leemin and William Dwyer. "Evaluation of a Fire-Safety Training Program For
Preschool Children." Journal of Community Psychology 24.3 (1996): 213-217. Print.

Sirianni, JOSEPH. "Fire Education K-12:Lowering Fire Deaths." December 2015. Fire Engineering. Web. 20
October 2021.

Snyder, Jenni. Fire and Life Safety Educator State of Ohio Fire Marshal;s Office Ethan Klussman. 15
October 2021. Interview.