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Fire Corps “Sparkles” at FRIIAFC On Scene: October 1, 2007
Sparkles was rescued from a house with 62 other dogs a few years ago. Now you can find Sparkles, a beautiful Dalmatian, dressed in a bright red vest, helmet and shiny badge promoting Fire Corps. At home in Arkansas, Sparkles, Dayna and RFD #1’s firefighters teach fire safety to children through Johnson County RFD #1’s public-education program. RFD #1’s Fire Corps members, comprised of University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta Lambda members, assist the department’s fire-safety team throughout the year. Sparkles and Dayna have also helped teach fire safety nationwide on PBS KIDS Sprout’s fire-safety tips and Fox News’ FOX and Friends in New York City.
An upcoming event is Fire Prevention Week, an important event for all fire departments. Johnson County RFD #1’s Fire Corps members help the department with special activities for the community, taking some of the burden off of the department; as a result, the fire department can concentrate on operational activities such as emergency response, training and safety. Community support for activities such as Fire Prevention Week is part of the mission of the Fire Corps program. Fire Corps programs offer non-operational community support to local fire and EMS departments. Fire Corps programs support departments in a variety of ways, based on the needs of the department. Many departments use community assistance to help meet such basic needs as administrative or mechanical support. Other departments focus their Fire Corps activities on specific programs, such as building inspections, fundraising and grant writing. For more about how to start a Fire Corps, please visit www.firecorps.org. The program is a partnership effort between the National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) and the IAFC. Fire Corps is one of five partner programs of Citizen Corps, the federal agency responsible for citizen preparedness (www.citizencorps.gov). For more information about Sparkles and Johnson County RFD #1’s program, email daynark@gmail.com. To learn more about the IAFC’s Fire Corps activities, email mhebert@iafc.org. |
Fire Corps had a very busy few days at Fire-Rescue International in Atlanta. The booth stayed busy during the exhibit days due to a special attraction: Sparkles the Fire-Safety Dog and her handler, Firefighter Dayna Hilton. 
Operating as part of a joint program of the department’s fire-safety education program and its Fire Corps program, Sparkles, Dayna and Fire Corps members visit classrooms through the Reading with Sparkles program. The department’s Fire Corps program makes it possible for Sparkles and Dayna to visit more area classrooms to teach children about fire safety. Although fire-safety education is a top priority, Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps members assist in other ways, including helping organize public safety events, installing smoke alarms and helping the fire department in myriad day-to-day activities.|
LEAD EDUCATE SERVE
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