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Campaign Information for the Fire Service

The campaign's slogan: “Prepare. Practice. Prevent the Unthinkable.” urges parents and caregivers to prepare by installing and maintaining working smoke alarms; safely storing lighters and matches out of children's reach and sight; and practicing a fire escape plan with small children, which should include helping toddlers understand how to quickly respond in case of fire, and planning how adults can escape with babies.

As firefighters and those on the front lines of Fire Service public education, you know from experience what parents and other caregivers can do to protect babies and toddlers from unthinkable consequences of fire. Below are some recommendations on how you can use this site to help further your efforts in protecting young children from fire.

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) encourages members of the Fire Service to:

• Visit the Materials page for A Fire Safety Campaign for Babies and Toddlers to download the brochure and fact sheet. Make copies to distribute to parents and others who care for young children in your response area.
• View and order campaign materials - including the 9-minute educational video.
• Ask your local newspaper and community papers to publish the public service announcement (PSA). Even better, ask them to run the PSA more than once. The more frequently parents see the PSA, the more likely they are to remember the messages.
• Connect with local chapters or coalitions of USFA's campaign partners to help educate members of your community and distribute materials.
• When teaching about fire safety, instruct parents on how to make a fire escape plan using the grid provided on this Website and encourage families to practice their escape at least twice a year.
• Use the campaign brochure to help parents understand how they can protect their vulnerable young children from injury and death from fire.