Fire & Life Safety Education
One of the fundamental missions of the not-for-profit FDNY Foundation is to financially support the Department’s core educational programs. In cooperation with the Foundation, active and retired members use a multitude of tools and strategies to craft educational presentations for specific audiences at an array of locations, with a special focus on the City’s most vulnerable populations, including children and senior citizens. The goal of the Foundation is to help the Department empower the public to protect their own lives and property before and during emergencies by promoting safe practices and techniques. This critical mission is served primarily by two specially-trained teams: the FDNY Fire Safety Education Unit and the FDNY Mobile CPR Training Unit.
The public can interact with FDNY educators at two New York City locations: the FDNY Fire Zone and the New York City Fire Museum. The Units also serve the public via the Fire Zone on the Road Program and Be 911 CPR Program at schools, senior centers, fairs, shopping centers, businesses, community boards and neighborhood groups throughout the five boroughs. Sign up for the Be 911 CPR Program.
In addition, the Fire-Setter Intervention Program also has been an important way for Fire Marshals to combat arson and help improve public safety. Since it was launched, the program has provided successful outreach to youth at risk for committing arson.
Public Outreach
The Foundation supports a number of continuing outreach programs intended to educate New Yorkers from every walk of life by mass-promoting safe practices and techniques. Annually, fire and life safety takes center stage in the City as FDNY promotes National Fire Prevention Week every October and National CPR/AED Week in June. By supporting those efforts, along with awareness campaigns to maintain working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the Department can continue to make great strides in driving down preventable deaths caused by fire.
Outreach efforts also include interaction with the public over social media and via traditional public safety announcements, many of which feature the FDNY’s popular mascots, Hot Dog and Siren.
Recruitment and Youth Services
FDNY has made great strides in diversifying the Department and reaching out to neighborhoods in every borough as part of its awareness and outreach strategic plans. Foundation-supported efforts have made some of the biggest impacts, by introducing FDNY careers to diverse communities. The FDNY Explorers Program, supported financially by the Foundation, has increased the visibility of the Department by educating young men and women, aged 14-20, about careers in the Department.
The Captain Vernon Richard FDNY High School for Fire and Life Safety in Brooklyn also has yielded positive results with continued assistance and support from the FDNY Foundation.