Fire Department Begins Burn-Prevention Campaign

Fire Department - July 2, 2007
Contact: Robert Owens: 773-7971

With the assistance of a federal grant, the Winston-Salem Fire Department has started a burn-prevention campaign aimed at preventing burns to children, particularly those ages 5 to 7.

The campaign began July 2 with the airing of 30-second public service announcements with burn-prevention tips that will run through the end of the year on Time Warner Cable in Forsyth County.

Other components of the campaign include fire prevention materials directed at 5- to 7-year-olds that will be placed in school "take-home" packets, and new fire prevention materials that will be incorporated into burn-prevention programs for schools and children’s groups.

The campaign addresses the findings of a risk assessment the department conducted last year which found that Winston-Salem’s average of 19 injuries per 1,000 fires is double the state average. In fiscal year 2005-2006, 49 children between the ages of 5 and 13 suffered burn injuries. However, children age 5 to 7 accounted for 64 percent of the severe burns requiring hospitalization. In almost all cases, the injuries to children did not result from large house fires and could have been prevented if the children, or their parents’ behavior, had been modified.

Two public service announcements have been prepared. A PSA for parents is running on CNN, News Channel 14, and The Weather Channel. A PSA for children is running on Animal Planet, Nickelodeon, and The Cartoon Network.

The PSAs were produced by the staff of WSTV 13, the city television station, with the assistance of the N.C. School of the Arts and Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. Both PSAs emphasize practical tips to keep kids safe around stoves, matches and lighters, and electric outlets.

The burn-prevention campaign is being financed with an $18,678 Fire Prevention and Safety Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, with the city of Winston-Salem providing a matching amount of $4,670. Of this, $10,000 has been allocated for running the PSAs 1,073 times through Dec. 24. In addition, Time Warner Cable is donating time to run the parent PSA about 135 times next year.

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