People's Burn Foundation Among Supporters on Capitol Hill Raising Awareness at Launch of National Campus Fire Safety Month

With more than 129 fatalities on college campuses since 2000, the People's Burn Foundation recognized a critical need for prevention education that would capture the attention of this particular demographic. The Department of Homeland Security agreed with the concerns and awarded the People's Burn Foundation one-million dollars in grant money for the creation and distribution of To Hell and Back III: College Fire Survival. Built on the highly successful To Hell and Back I and II, programs that focus on fire and burn safety for firefighters, a development team comprised of fire chiefs, campus officials and education specialists convened to create this third installment. In July of this year, the program was distributed free of charge to every fire department, college and university across the nation.

To Hell and Back III: College Fire Survival is specifically designed for the college student demographic. To have the greatest impact and be effective, this video program was created by a team of national experts in a way that will appeal to today's "YouTube" generation. For the majority of these students, this program will be the first fire and burn prevention education they have received since third grade. To Hell and Back III: College Fire Survival is available online for individuals or can be used in group settings. Currently there are six universities committed to sending their freshman students through the online training component including Purdue University in Indiana and Hampden-Sydney College inVirginia. The People's Burn Foundation is on a mission to make the program mandatory at all college and university freshman orientation sessions.

The release of To Hell and Back III: College Fire Survival arrives at a critical time of need given the passing of the Campus Fire Safety Right-to- Know Act signed into law by President Bush on August 14, 2008. The Right-to- Know Act will require colleges and universities to report fire safety information annually to the U.S. Secretary of Education and to make this information available to the public. This includes information such as how many fires, deaths and injuries have occurred; how many beds are protected by automatic fire sprinklers and fire alarms and how much fire prevention training is provided.

Shawn Longerich, Executive Director of the People's Burn Foundation, says the time for universities is to act is now. "We have placed the tools they need in their hands at no cost to them whatsoever. There is no reason for them not to take action to prevent future tragedies from occurring on their campuses."

An added component to the program is the landmark student fire safety training site www.igot2kno.org launched on August 8, 2008 and is available for campus and community fire professionals to use. Developed by the People's Burn Foundation with assistance from Campus Firewatch, this training program represents the latest in creative and innovative material to reach out to today's Millennial Generation. The site includes additional prevention and educational resources. To promote the site, PBF partnered with Follett Bookstores and Westhill Group, Inc. in creating two thirty-second promotional spots to air in their college bookstores. To date, the spots are airing in approximately 125 locations.

In response to the program, and following the death of one of their members, PBF is also now working on a national level with Pi Beta Phi Sorority to extend the reach of the College Fire Survival message. The sorority lost their sister Julie Turnbull in a campus related fire in April of 2005 in Oxford, Ohio. Beginning with six chapters inOhio, Pi Beta Phi sororities will begin selling battery operated candles with igot2kno.org promotional stickers and burn prevention literature with a brief story about Julie Turnbull enclosed in the packaging. Each member is asked to sell a minimum of two candles at a cost of $10 each with 100-percent of proceeds being donated to PBF.

Though released just a few months ago, the program is already receiving tremendous feedback and support across the nation. Wesleyan University in Connecticut will use the program in conjunction with their fine process for students receiving fire safety violations in their campus housing. James Crosby, Director of Public Safety and Security for Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama writes, "The DVD on College Fire Survival is very useful for training purposes. I have used it to train Resident Advisors in our college's Department of Resident Life. All of the DVD's are professionally made and will prove to be a valuable future resource in training members of our college community about issues involving fire safety." Scott from State University of New York at New Paltz says, "By far the best college fire safety resource I have ever seen. This will have an amazing impact on my students!"

To learn more about To Hell and Back III: College Fire Survival log onto our website at www.peoplesburnfoundation.org.

    National Campus Fire Safety Month Launch & Press Conference
    WHO:   Lawmakers, students and advocates
    WHEN:  Tuesday, September 9, 2008
           11 a.m. - Noon
    WHERE: HC-6 in the Capitol

SOURCE People's Burn Foundation ofIndiana

Copyright © 2009, PRNewswire
Copyright © 2009, NewsBlaze, Daily News

Tags: ,EDU,HED,PSF,PDT,POL,IN-PBF-fire-awareness