GOFSEA

Maine bans novelty lighters

On March 24, Maine became the first state to enact legislation banning the sale or distribution of toy or novelty lighters. The legislation, introduced by State Representative Richard Sykes, describes novelty lighters as, “lighters that are designed to appear to be a toy, feature a flashing light or make musical sounds.” Persons found in violation of the new law face a fine of up to $500.

NVFC supports campaign

The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) has supported restricting novelty lighter sales since 2006. Last year, NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg sent a letter to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chairman Nancy Nord requesting that the CPSC prohibit the importation, sale, and distribution of novelty lighters in the United States.

Novelty lighters and known fatalities

Because novelty lighters look like toys, children are tempted to play with them even if they have been taught that handling lighters is dangerous. Fatal fires caused by novelty lighters have been documented in several states, including last September when two young boys in Arkansas died in a fire they accidentally set to their apartment with a motorcycle-shaped lighter. Since the fatal fire, at least 21 municipalities in Arkansas have passed ordinances banning the sale of novelty lighters. Municipal and county governments in California, Colorado, and Washington have also passed bans on novelty lighter sales.

On March 11, Michigan State Senator Gretchen Whitmer introduced legislation banning the sale of novelty lighters after hearing a news story about a woman who purchased a toy Dalmatian for her daughter only to discover that the “toy” was actually a cigarette lighter. Several other states have also considered legislation to ban novelty lighter sales.

2008 Arson Awareness Week

The theme for the 2008 Arson Awareness Week campaign is “Toylike Lighters – Playing with Fire.” Arson Awareness Week is May 4-10. The NVFC has partnered with the United States Fire Administration (USFA), the Office of the Oregon State Fire Marshal, Fire Safe Children & Families Program, the International Association of Arson Investigators, and the Idea Bank to promote Arson Awareness Week and bring attention to the dangers of novelty lighters. More information will be available as of April 1 on the USFA web site at www.usfa.dhs.gov.

Source: NVFC E-update newsletter

At this time, the combined GOFSEA/Burn Foundation meeting will be held at Miami Valley Hospital in the 3rd floor Burn Center Conference Room. Meeting time will be 2:30 p.m.

The best parking is typically in the Apple Street garage. Enter the hospital via the skywalk and take the elevators (on the right) to the 3rd floor. Follow the signs to the Burn Center.

Miami Valley Hospital [map]
1 Wyoming St
Dayton, OH 45409
(937) 208-8000

I’ve borrowed a post from a social media pundit to whom I sometimes find myself interacting. This, to me, is a very good message and education item that we can use in safety education to help us become better speakers/presenters. Just a bit of “good to know” as it were.

Presentation Secrets for Social Communicators - By Chris Brogan

Speaking and presenting is something I’m passionate about. Why? Because it’s another way to start conversations and build relationships. Or, it can be, if you think about how you present. Here are some recommendations on ways to turn your bullhorn into a party hat in the presentation world.

First, Defuse the Bomb

You have less than two minutes to set up your relationship with the audience. Your audience needs to LOVE you. They have to want you to succeed. And as part of this, they want you to succeed, because they’re hoping to learn something about themselves from you.

Let me highlight that so you take it home with you: People want to learn about THEMSELVES through what you talk about in your presentations.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Tell a funny story. Not a joke. A story. Tell it EARLY. Be as FUNNY as you can muster. Self-depricating humor helps, if you’re any good at that. Be the authority, but be human.

Sneak In With Questions

You need to sneak into your audience’s hearts and minds. I love asking questions, but not so much the hand-raiser types. Sure, I do that schtick. But if I’m trying to get you engaged early, I want to ask you questions that get you rummaging through your own internal autobiography? Why? Because I want you to be connected and engaged to what I’m saying. If I’m getting you to stir up internal memories, I’ve snuck in.

Think Television, Then Break It

We are a world of TV viewers. We are used to screens. Think HARD about this when planning your presentation. First, think about slides. Slides are PART of your TV screen. Know who the other part is? YOU. Now, if you and your slides are the presentation, which is more interesting? A big glowing screen? Or you hiding behind the podium.

Use Your Body

Learn how to move. First, don’t fidget. Second, step away from the podium (unless it’s a HUGE room and the mic is glued to the podium). Get around and move. Get CLOSER to your audience. BLEND for a moment with them. You’ve been to rock concerts. Crowds go CRAZY for contact with the star. And, uh, you’re the star, bub!

A Word About Slides

Never ever EVER use pre-built slide formats. Just don’t. Know why? Because they all look THE SAME. Don’t make my eyes bleed. Don’t make me sleep. Next point: bullets are for guns. Be creative. Think about it this way: if this were a TV commercial, would YOU watch? Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth is basically a slide show with Al talking and some dramatic music. Think that way and work backwards.

In format, don’t do title, agenda, name, payload, contact me. Know why? Because EVERYONE does that. Try mixing it up. Just a little. Think TV and all the various formats.

SUPER SECRET TIP: Find lots of great photos on Flickr (use advanced search to select Creative Commons photos, and add a slide near the end of your slideshow giving people attribution for their work). [Note from Rich: You may find that your organization BLOCKS Flickr from view– some label it as a “social networking” site. Unfortunately, this site provides a wealth of Creative Commons licensed images that we can ALL use to enhance our programs, presentations, and publications. I’m often frustrated that this site is blocked, as it contains a wealth of open-licensed material.]

Your Voice is Important

If you speak in a monotone voice with no stops and go on and on and use ums to cover the spaces where you don’t know what you’re going to say next, people will fall asleep almost immediately, and then the best you can hope is that they dream that you did a good job.

WAKE people UP! Be loud. Be soft. Use your voice with as much energy as a radio announcer or your favorite entertainment personality. Think on this. Practice it. Use shorter sentences. (Notice I do this when I blog?) And try hard to mix up HOW you’re talking about things. Ask questions. Make statements. Pause for breath. Kill “ums.”

Finish With Idea Handles

ALWAYS end a presentation with things people can run off and do. Verbs. Give people ways they can take your ideas, and use them. Giving ideas handles means letting people pick up your idea, take it home with them, and incorporate it into what they’re doing and thinking. It makes the whole time you’ve taken from everyone worth it.

And make sure folks know how to reach you, okay?

Does this work for you? Do you want more ideas like this?

Are you already getting this blog sent to your reader of choice for free? I hope you do.

Photo credit framesmedia/dan

Many congratulations to Greg Smith, Dayton FD, for his diligence and hard work. His most recent public service announcement brought together GOFSEA, the Safe Kids Greater Dayton coalition, and the Ohio State University as one team.

The PSA is available for download as part of this post.

The Canon of Ethics as cited in Fire and Life Safety Educator by Pam Powell and published by Fire Service Publications (IFSTA) has been added to our regular page directory. Please look for it in the links in the right hand directory.

Fellow Fire & Police Department Member: [and members of the general public]

The members of Safe Kids, Greater Dayton are concerned about the import and sale of novelty lighters that resemble toys. Today, there are lighters on the market that resemble cars, animals, and even Oreo cookies. These lighters are very attractive to children with flashing lights or sound effects. AS a group we have found no valid reason why lighters are manufactured to look like toys. It is time to take the next step to protect children from lighters that encourage curiosity, invite unintentional misuse and place them and their families at risk.

Three things you can do:

1. Post an icon on your fire department’s web site that links to this novelty lighter PSA: http://www.theideabank.com/psa/NoveltyLighters.html

2. Write a brief safety message to parents and caregivers about novelty lighters. You may use the sample letter that is provided on the above website. Give it to your community’s elementary schools for distribution.

3. Work with Safe Kids to try to ban the sale of novelty lighters. Please contact Dave Fickler or Jalynn Winland at (937) 237-3619 if you are interested in being involved with the Burn Prevention Committee to ban these novelty lighters.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Dave Fickler and Jalynn Winland
Chair-people for the Burn Prevention Committee
Safe Kids Greater Dayton

A combined meeting of the Greater Ohio Fire Safety Educators Association — and the Miami Valley Firefighters Regional Burn Foundation — will be held Wednesday, 11 April 2007 beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Some of the discussion will involve our current juvenile firesetter intervention programs and possible plans for improving the service.

We will be meeting at the Miami Valley Hospital Burn Unit conference room (3NW). Remember to park in the Apple Street parking garage. Take the skywalk over to the hospital. Once inside the building, turn right to the bank of elevators. Take this to the 3rd floor. Follow the signs to the burn unit.  The hospital map can found at this link.

Just a reminder to all that the March meeting is being held at Miami Valley Hospital (Dayton) in the Burn Center Conference room at 2:00 p.m. This is a new time and location and you will want to mark your calendars for this for future meetings, as well.*

GOFSEA meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month except for October.

The hospital map can found at this link. Park in the Apple Street garage and walk across the skywalk. Turn right just inside the door and go to the elevators. Take this to the 3rd floor and follow the signs to the Burn Unit.

*Our meeting will immediately precede the Miami Valley Firefighters Regional Burn Foundation meeting.

The conference call is still scheduled for today.  It will begin at 1:00pm EST.  Call information can be found in the prior post or in the right hand menu under “Pages”.

A conference call is scheduled for next week. We are going to attempt
to “meet” by phone to take care of a few outstanding GOFSEA
“housecleaning” issues.

1. Greg Smith, Dayton FD, has a proposal on the table asking GOFSEA to contribute some funds toward production of a video PSA that can be used in the region. He has had very good success in the past with his PSA campaigns… this would be further reaching. Your vote is appreciated.
2. There are some expenses for GOFSEA that might need to be discussed, including the replacement of a hard drive for the secretary/association laptop.
3. Meeting times/dates/locations may be changing if the membership approves doing so. The Miami Valley Firefighters Regional Burn Association meets the same day (2nd Wednesday) as GOFSEA and includes many GOFSEA members. There is thought of holding the meetings at the same location — and consecutively — to ease some of the time/travel burdens by members.

Please respond to the list email if you can attend the conference call on Wednesday, 28 February 2007 at 1:00 PM. Call information is found on the right hand menu of the GOFSEA web site under the PAGES category. It is called “Conference Call Info“.

Here are the specifics, as well:
Dial 1-218-486-1300
Enter code: 606335
Record your name when prompted.

In many cases, the conference will be open for free discussion. However, if we are conducting official business it may be necessary to mute all attendees other than the person that has “the floor.”

When you join the conference, please press “4*” to mute your line until prompted for discussion.

Again, please respond if you can attend the conference call session. An email to the group list at gofsea [at] googlegroups [dot] com will be best. (Remove the bracketed items and replace with the appropriate symbol. Formatted to avoid spam to the group.)
Thank you!
Rich Palmer
GOFSEA Secretary