Team Firestopper - Reaching the whole family!

Last week the Team Firestopper program held a fire safety fair in Aurora. We worked with Oak Park Elementary School and the 21st Century after-school program to educate both kids and parents on how to keep their home safe from fires!

First, our AmeriCorps members educated 60 1st through 4th graders on small things they can do around their home to help stop fires from starting. This includes cleaning the lint out of the dryer, not playing with matches, and to remind their parents to change the batteries in their smoke detectors!



Then, we held our Team Firestopper program for the parents of the children in the after-school program. Parents went through seven stations which included interactive stations such as a smoke trailer - where individuals got to practice escaping from a home, and a station on how to use a fire extinguisher – and they even got to try putting out a digital fire!

After the fair, the 40 households that attended received a kit free of charge that included a smoke detector, carbon monoxide detector, fire extinguisher, disaster supply kit, surge protector, window film insulation kit, and CPR for Everyone kit!

We're doing out best to stop fires before they spark in your community!

Want to get involved or learn more about the Team Firestopper program? Visit www.chicagoredcross.org/tfs!

Fire safety tip of the week: According to the NFPA, space heaters accounted for 1/3 of home heating fires - so give your space heaters some space!!! Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from anything that could catch fire! - This includes blankets, clothes, towels, newspapers and furniture!

photos by Gerry Holmes