Saving Lives before the Fire

The Fort Wayne Fire Department's Safety Education Division believes educating the public will help prevent fires and save lives. They offer a variety of services including basic fire and life safety displays, general public fire safety presentations, fire safety and hands-on fire extinguisher training for businesses, school safety/career programs and in-depth structured safety programs in all the elementary schools. This commitment by the Fort Wayne Fire Department to “save lives and preserve property” through education and prevention has resulted in less fire deaths and injuries and less property losses for our citizens.

The following is a list of some of the programs offered by the Fort Wayne Fire Department's Safety Education Division:

  • Learn Not To Burn: A comprehensive program presented yearly to pre-school through fifth grade children to teach and reinforce fire safe behaviors. 

  • The Survive Alive House: A program for all ages that allows hands-on experience practicing escapes from a realistic appearing, but totally safe, artificial house fire. 

  • Juvenile Fire-Setters Interventions: A program to assist families with children that have shown an above normal curiosity about fire or have actually used fire inappropriately. 

  • Community Fire Safety/Burn Prevention:  A hard hitting and compelling educational program on the reality of burn injuries. Videos based on the stories of real life burn survivors form the basis for an in-depth discussion on the importance of being proactive in practicing burn prevention.   

  • Fire Extinguisher Training: Adult hands-on training regarding the proper use of fire extinguishers in the home and/or business. This program explains the type of fire extinguishers available for the public and their applications and limitations in real world situations. 

  • Sparky’s Hazard House:  A large table-top house loaded with fire and life safety hazards that need to be identified and corrected. As hazards are identified, the results of the specific uncorrected hazard can be demonstrated through discussion and special audio/visual effects.

  • Spotz:  The Fort Wayne Fire Department's Dalmatian mascot makes many special appearances to help promote good public relations and remind citizens to always think about fire safety. 

  • Freddie:  A large remote controlled fire truck that interacts with the public. Freddie has the ability to hear and speak to children (and adults!).  He also loves to show off his lights and sirens and he really enjoys spraying people with water!

We encourage you to invite the Safety Education Division to make a presentation to your group, or we can set up safety education displays and have a firefighter on hand to answer questions at your special events.

Please contact the Fort Wayne Fire Department Safety Education Division personnel listed below to schedule a program or to answer your questions.

Captain Andrea Burton, 260-427-5179  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Captain Mark Clause, 260-427-1483  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For valuable fire safety tips about cooking at home, checking smoke alarms, creating an escape plan, portable space heaters, camp fires and much, much more, please visit the National Fire Protection Association's Public Education Safety Tips web page.