If you think that Fire Prevention Week is only for the fire department, you’re missing an opportunity to effectively reach your customer base.

It’s true the fire service takes the lead, but there’s an important role for you too. Every October, thousands of fire departments across the U.S. and Canada celebrate Fire Safety Month all during the month, or participate in Fire Prevention Week, which is sponsored each year by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). From safety fairs to fire station visits and pancake breakfasts, the fire service uses these events to focus attention on the problem of fire and teach people of all ages how to stay safer from it.

For homebuilders, October is an ideal time to join forces with the fire department. It will help you build name recognition and earn credit for being safety conscious. You’ll do well by “doing good”. Here are some suggestions to get you started:

Contact Your Local Fire Department Public Educator – First step is to make contact with the folks who teach fire safety. Make your interest in working with the fire department known. Find out what they need to make their October events a success, and see what you can offer and how you can team up with them.

Sponsor Fire Safety Activities and Materials – In most fire departments, public safety education is operated on a shoestring budget. You can help extend the reach of your department’s fire safety messages with a minimal investment. There are many ways you can help educate your community while giving your company brand a high profile. In exchange for a credit line or logo placement, offer one or more of these forms of support:

• Sponsor the fire department’s safety presentations to civic and hobby groups.
  
• Underwrite local print, TV and radio ads that communicate key fire safety messages.
  
• Help cover the fire department’s cost to purchase fire safety materials and/or duplicate and distribute them to families.
  
• Sponsor a Fire Safety Fair, food event, or Fire Station Visit.
  
• Team up with local fire sprinkler contractors to help sponsor a “side by side” live fire burn and fire sprinkler demonstration.
  
• Distribute a local press release to help promote Fire Safety Month/Fire Prevention Week.
  
• Make an undedicated contribution to your local fire department to help offset its public education costs.
  Showcase the Fire Sprinklers in Your Model Home – If you have installed fire sprinklers in your model home, offer to help your local fire department build a fire safety event around it during October.
  n Sponsor a “Built for Life” contest to test your customers’ knowledge about fire sprinklers.
  n Invite local real estate and insurance professionals to tour the home to learn about fire sprinklers. It’s a good idea to have a fire sprinkler contractor and/or a member of the fire department there to answer technical questions.
  n Post prominent signage around the model home so prospective buyers know it is protected by sprinklers.
  n Stock the model home with HFSC’s educational materials; set up a DVD player so you can utilize HFSC’s videos.
  n Host a fire safety event at the model home during October. Invite the local media to attend; offer speaking opportunities to the mayor, fire chief, and other local dignitaries; use HFSC’s materials to help the community understand the life safety provided by the fire sprinkler system.
  This year, Fire Prevention Week takes place October 7-13. That may seem far off, but now is the perfect time to express your interest to your local fire safety educators so
  you can get on board. Visit HomeFireSprinkler.org to see how you can help members of your community learn about home fire sprinklers from these and other great teaching tools – available at no cost to you:
  n Built for Life quizzes
  n Brochures for Real Estate and Insurance Professionals
  n Sprinkler Smarts online educational games from children in Kindergarten through fifth grade
  n Protect What You Value Most print and video/DVD materials
  n Living with Sprinklers print and video/DVD materials
  n Video and Animation to illustrate home fire growth and the power of fire
  sprinklers