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Captain George Bode Public Education Officer

Public Education & Events

In 2007, the Department logged over 500 hours of community education. The Department visits every school at least once a year to oversee emergency evacuation drills and plans. Children receive more personalized attention during the Department's school classroom visits where students have the opportunity to learn about fire safety, the job of being a firefighter and sometimes get a visit from "Tony" - the Department's arson team dog. The most ambitious and successful public education program however is FAST KIDS - Fire Awareness Safety Team. The program reaches every 4th grader in the City with fire and safety education.

The following is a list of programs and events the Office of
Public Education has been involved with over the past few years.

F.A.S.T. Kids: F.A.S.T. is an acronym for Fire Awareness Safety Team. This program places a firefighter in every fourth grade class in the city. Our six week class teaches fire prevention and other safety related matters.

Freddie the Fire Truck: Freddie is a well-known program to the pre-K to grade 1 children throughout Joliet. Freddie presents a positive non-threatening way to teach young children about smoke and fire, and associated dangers.

Youthful Firesetters: A program designed to counsel young children who exhibit an excessive curiosity about fire, who may hurt themselves and/or others. A network of social service agencies and the fire department can effectively address the firesetting issue.

Safety Trailer: This 29-foot long “safety house” teaches children and adults first hand how smoke travels throughout a structure. Staying low in smoke and the importance of exit drills is emphasized.

Fire Prevention Week: This celebration of fire safety is highlighted with a poster contest for school age children grades 1 thru 5. For the adults we have” Match the Marquee” in conjunction with WJOL radio.

Change your clock, change your battery, check your blood pressure: The Joliet Fire Department, The Partnership for a Healthier Community, The Joliet Herald News and Energizer Batteries partner to sponsor this event. Thirty-nine locations were selected in Will County to give away a free nine-volt battery for smoke detectors as well as a free blood pressure test.

Fire Extinguisher Classes: Given free to any group or institution (nursing homes, commercial, industrial businesses) that calls with a request.

Operation Prom Crash: Teaches high school students the dangers of drinking and driving on this very important night in their lives. A mock recreation of a crash is graphically illustrated using fellow students in a life and death scenario.

Santa visits the hospital: The pediatric floor and the emergency room is a happier place following a visit from this fellow from the North Pole. Santa along with his elf’s pass out fire helmets and fire badges to everyone we see.