It’s time for the Great American Fire Drill!

After you've practiced your drill, make sure to visit Sparky.org to make your drill count! NFPA & LEGO® team up to promote The Great American Fire Drill. NFPA is asking families, classrooms, and offices to videotape themselves planning and practicing their fire escape plans. And then to upload their videos to NFPA's page on YouTube. Be creative and have fun! See you on YouTube!

• Pick a date – anytime in October.
• Make your plan (PDF, 634 KB).
• Practice your escape drill.

How fire departments can get involved
Why not hold a Great American Fire Drill party? To make this activity work, you will need to have lots of teachers on board as well as the participation of members of your fire department.  It will take some planning, but it can be great. The objective is to get local families to practice their escape plan and be recognized for doing so.  If families make a plan and never practice, they aren’t really safe; this activity can help!

• Choose an evening during Fire Prevention Week for the “The Great American Fire Drill Party”.  Obtain treats to give the students and map out a route to cover the town.
• Students will need to create a home fire escape plan (PDF, 634 KB). It is great if an entire school can participate and strive to have 100% classroom participation.  After all plans are completed; teachers need to make an additional copy of each plan. Both plans should be sent home. The original plan should be displayed on the refrigerator and the copy will be given to the firefighter as part of The Great American Fire Drill Party.
• Praise students for creating a plan! 
• Send home the original plan, the copy and the note to families (below) explaining what will happen during the evening of the “party”.
• Firefighters will need to drive around to collect copies of the escape plan in exchange for a treat.
• This is a great way to involve the firefighters in our community – we hope you will try it!!

Sample note to teachers
Happy Fire Prevention Week! Join us in The Great American Fire Drill Party!  Have your students create a home fire escape plan. Make a copy of each plan. Send both plans home with each student. The original plan should be displayed on their refrigerator. The copy will be used for The Great American Fire Drill Party. On (insert date and time), the fire department will be driving around looking for families who are practicing their fire escape plans. Students will hand the copy of their fire escape plan to the firefighters to receive a special treat. Thanks for your cooperation and we hope your students join in the fun!

Sample note to families
Join The Great American Fire Drill Party! The (insert name of fire department) will be looking for families practicing their fire escape plans on (insert date and time). Your child has created a home fire escape plan to be displayed on your refrigerator. A copy of the plan has also been sent home. The fire department will be driving around looking for families practicing their home fire escape plan. When you see the fire department in your neighborhood, hand a copy of your fire escape plan to the firefighters for a special treat. Happy Fire Prevention Week - and be sure to practice your home fire escape plan. Be counted! Got to www.sparky.org to register your family participation in The Great American Fire Drill.