2014 NPEF Conference Wildly Successful

If you were one of the public educators from across the country who had a chance to participate in the 2014 National Public Educator Forum (NPEF) Conference right outside Chicago, then you know how much valuable insights and ideas were shared. This three day conference was packed with amazing speakers, insightful workshops and innovative ideas!

Over 130 emergency services educators came together in Naperville, Illinois for this educational conference. Educators heard from keynote Mel Robbins who shared her Five Second Rule as well as other ways to successfully manage your time and resources. They also saw the Lewisville Fire Clowns put on their fire safety course which was hysterical and educational at the same time.

Other noteworthy speakers included Marsha Geisler who shared her fantastic teaching strategies as well as the closing keynote speaker, Kelly Rasmussen, who taught attendees how to spread your public education message effectively. Some additional important topics covered included Text to 9-1-1, Tag Team Tactics and Legal Issues within Social Media.

At this year's conference the attendees also participated in an NPEF PSA. Check out the video below!
    

We can't wait for next year's conference- it is sure to have more innovative ideas for educators to take back home and implement in their 9-1-1 programs! See you all next year!  

Naperville Mayor with Cell Phone Sally

The Lewisville Fire Clowns

Creating 9-1-1 PSAs

Making Chicago Memories!

Creating a NPEF PSA!

Keynote Speaker Mel Robbins

NPEF Conference Committee

Utilizing Girls Scouts and Boy Scouts for Help with 9-1-1 Public Education

Beth English and Girl Scout Lauren Alexander

Have you ever considered utilizing Girl Scouts or Boys Scouts to help with your public education efforts? As many people know, for Girl Scouts to earn their Gold Award and Boy Scouts to earn their Eagle Scout Award, they have to do a big project that gives back to the community.

Recently, Beth English, the Director of Communications for the City of Rowlett, Texas, was able to utilize a Girl Scout to help with a public education initiative. Here’s her story!

“It was a stroke of pure luck, actually! I was going through her mother, who is a Proforma franchisee, to order stuff for the Texas NENA booth,” Beth said. “I asked her about printing up some business cards for Smart911, and it was while we were talking about this, that her mother told me about the Gold Award and that it would be a good project for her to work on.”

Beth met with the Girl Scout, Lauren Alexander, and they discussed exactly what Beth is doing with Smart911. Lauren then sat with Beth in the Communications office so she could see how the calls come in, what the challenges are, and how they process the medical calls.

“We discussed our timeline as far as when I will get to implement Smart911 and when her project is due,” Beth said. “We also batted around some ideas for different groups she could spread the message to, different media types she could use, and others that she could contact for help.”

Lauren put all the information about her project with 9-1-1 into a report for the Girl Scout board for them to approve. Once they gave approval, Lauren got to work right away with Beth on her Gold Award project.

The project will take a while to complete, but so far, Lauren has already established relationships with various organizations in order to have sign up sheets for Smart911 at their business locations. Lauren is also working on getting donations set up to fund any printing paperwork she may need to help spread the word. She is also working on getting businesses to donate food items for events where the Smart911 information can be shared.

Beth promises that once Lauren has completed the project, she will update us on the successes and benefits of this collaboration so please stay tuned!

Celebrate Independence Day with Safety in Mind

The 4^th of July marks Independence Day, a time when the nation celebrates its freedom! With so many celebrations going on, it comes as no surprise that the amount of fires goes up. Fires usually start due to fireworks combined with lots of heat and dry weather. While we hope everyone celebrates this special holiday with lots of enthusiasm, we also hope that everyone practices safety first.

Here are a few tips and guidelines to remember when celebrating the Fourth of July:

o   Know where your fire extinguisher is and keep it close if you will be using fireworks. (Note: In most cities, they do not allow you to set off fireworks in the city limits so please remember to obey laws at all times.)

o   Have close access to your water hose in case a fire erupts and the extinguisher cannot stop the fire on its own.

o   If a fire does get out of hand, please do not hesitate to contact 9-1-1 for help.

o   If you have pets, please keep them inside on this day and evening. Fireworks can be very scary for pets and spook them badly.

o   If you choose to play with fireworks, make sure when you throw away the remains that they are free of heat and fire. This will eliminate chances of the trash igniting in flames.

o   Keep fireworks out of children’s reach or hands. Fireworks should only be handled by adults to protect children from accidentally harming themselves.

o   Never attempt to make your own fireworks.

o   Never set off fireworks inside.

o   When setting off fireworks, make sure not to aim them toward anyone. They should always be aimed away from where people are standing.

 

We all know fireworks are meant to be enjoyed so please enjoy all the beautiful designs and colors and sounds that they create. All that we ask is that you think safety first to ensure you and your family have a wonderful Independence Day! Happy 4^th!