Save the Date: Reception Honoring the Legacy of Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta
October 4, 2017
FDNY Foundation Introduces FDNY Pro Films with First Feature
October 16, 2017
FDNY Foundation & FDNY Celebrate Successful Fire Prevention Week
The FDNY Foundation is proud to join the FDNY in wrapping up another successful Fire Prevention Week in New York City.
National Fire Prevention Week runs from Oct. 8 – 14. This year’s campaign is “Every Second Counts: Plan 2 Ways Out!”
The primary goal of the week is to reinforce the reasons why every person should have an escape plan in the event of a fire.
The FDNY stresses that creating an escape plan and practicing it can keep everyone safe from harm. As a part of its Foundation-funded educational programming – which especially targets the city’s populations most vulnerable to fire – the FDNY stresses families should know two ways out of each room and agree on a meeting place outside the home.
To mark Fire Prevention Week, the FDNY Foundation funded fire safety programs in all five boroughs, and joined the FDNY to host one of its largest events – FDNY Fire Safety Day at Rockefeller Center. As a part of the event, hundreds of children from schools in all five boroughs were sworn-in as Junior Firefighters and EMTs.
“Fire is everyone’s fight, and fire safety is a critical lesson – one that can be learned at any age,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro “It’s information that will quite literally save your life. This is always one of our favorite events because we know this information will make an impact in the lives of our children, their teachers, and all of their families for many years to come.”
“We know in the FDNY that preventing fires and teaching safety is as important as fighting fires,” said FDNY Chief of Department James Leonard. “That’s why we all work so hard to educate New Yorkers every single day, especially the youngest New Yorkers. Fire departments across the country spend extra time on the critical message of fire safety education during Fire Prevention Week. Having an escape plan, knowing your exits, and the most important tip of all – having a working smoke alarm – are just some of the ways to keep yourself and your family safe.”
At FDNY Fire Safety Day, children also had the opportunity to learn critical fire safety lessons from members of the Foundation-funded Fire Safety Education Unit, as well as to interact with members of the FDNY and FDNY apparatus.
“They were all able to answer children’s questions and were friendly and welcoming,” said Angie Christoforatos, Third Grade Teacher from School of the Blessed Sacrament in Manhattan. “The children got to experience real life situations and develop their knowledge about the importance of fire safety on many levels. FDNY Educators made the experience a great one for each student.”
“It’s so important for our students to be educated in fire safety,” said Carmen Mattimore, who brought her students from PS 36X in the Bronx. “Many of our children were unaware of what to do in an emergency and they learned what to do in case of a fire, the importance of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and to make sure they have a family meeting place in case of a fire.”
“Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity for us to highlight all of the educational work we fund year round,” said FDNY Foundation Chairman Stephen Ruzow. “We reach young students at FDNY Fire Safety Day thanks to our hosts Tishman Speyer and Rockefeller Center. We reach people across the city with Foundation-funded fire and life safety events in every borough throughout the week. We know people who attend these critical events are taking the messages home with them and remembering how to prevent fires, reduce fire deaths and prevent emergencies.”
“The FDNY’s Fire Safety Education team, our Community Affairs members and the FDNY Foundation – together they are all doing remarkable work and making our city even safer,” said Commissioner Nigro. “We see the incredible results of fire safety education as the number of lives lost to fire declines year after year.”
The FDNY Foundation funds FDNY fire and life safety programs all year long. For more information about the FDNY’s educational initiatives, visit FDNY Smart.
For more photos from FDNY Fire Safety Day at Rockefeller Center, click here.
"They were all able to answer children's questions and were friendly and welcoming. The children got to experience real life situations and develop their knowledge about the importance of fire safety on many levels. FDNY Educators made the experience a great one for each student."
