January 24, 2008

12th Annual Burn Awareness Week - February 3 to 9, 2008
Internet Program Teaches Fire Safety to Elementary School Kids

VANCOUVER - The BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund’s 12th Annual Burn Awareness Week (BAW) program is available online.   It is designed to teach kids to be responsible for their own safety, and help make their families aware of potentially harmful situations.

Public and private elementary schools in British Columbia, parents, students – anyone – can access the program, which includes burn awareness safety tip information, student activity sheets, colouring pages, and animated videos.   The BAW program is available in PDF format for easy download and printing. 

The BAW program is educational, fun and interactive.  The program is divided into age-appropriate safety lessons and activity sheets, intended for Kindergarten/Grade One; Grade Two/Three; Grade Four/Five; and Grade Six/Seven.  Some lessons are also available in French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi.

Students are invited to enter the annual Burn Awareness Week Poster Contest.  Every entrant receives a participation prize and fifty students can win money for their elementary school or BC Ministry of Education sanctioned distance education facility.  There are seven regional prizes to be awarded, including a $1,000 grand prize and six $500 regional prizes.  Regions are the Lower Mainland (three winners), Vancouver Island, Kootenays, Northern BC and the Okanagan (one winner for each area).  Forty-three students win runner-up prizes of $50 each for their school or distance education facility.  Click to see complete prize details, rules and regulations.

Fire and burn injuries are the second leading cause of accidental death in children aged one to four years, and the third leading cause of injury and death for those aged one to eighteen. 

Professional Fire Fighters from the provincial Burn Fund and from communities throughout the province are available to talk about burn prevention and safety. During Burn Awareness Week, local fire department representatives may be available to meet with schools and media outlets.  Please refer to the non-emergency number of local fire departments, listed in local telephone books.

About the Burn Fund
A registered charity established in 1978 by the BC Professional Fire Fighters Association, the Burn Fund provides life saving, life supporting, and life enriching services to the people in British Columbia.

More than 3,600 professional fire fighters from forty-nine communities around the province are building the Burn Fund’s vision. They dedicate their time and skills to support burn survivors and increase the public’s knowledge about fire and burn safety issues through the work the Burn Fund does with its Burn Awareness, Research and Prevention Programs.

The Burn Awareness Week program is sponsored by the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund with support from Capilano Suspension Bridge, RBC Foundation, Global TV BC and Channel M. For more information or to make a donation, please visit www.burnfund.org.

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Media contact: Tammy Charles, Direct Telephone: 604-538-6757
 Email: tammycharles@telus.net
Margo Bates Publicity Inc.: Telephone: 604-536-9501 Email: pr@burnfund.org

AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW:

• Tony Burke, Executive Director, BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund
• Ryan Cail, Director, BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund and Chair, Burn Awareness Week Program
• Local Burn Fund representatives in 49 communities throughout BC or local fire departments

Burn Awareness Week – February 3 to 9, 2008
Overview of Fire Safety Lessons

Prevent Burns Before They Happen!
Hot Water scalds are the leading cause of burns to young children.  The vast majority of these burn injuries are preventable.

• Safety Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi
• Activities sheets suited to grade levels
• Colouring page
• Animation video “Hot Water & Steam Scalds”

Stay Safe in the Kitchen!
On average, every person in this country will experience at least two kitchen fires during their lifetime.

• Safety Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi
• Activity sheets suited to grade levels
• Stay Safe in the Kitchen Game
• Public Service Announcement Video
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi

Matches and Lighters are Tools, not Toys!
Matches and lighters in the hands of children are a major concern in every community across BC.  Playing with fire causes millions of dollars in property damage, and thousands of burn injuries and deaths annually.

• Safety Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi
• Activity sheets suited to grade levels
• Colouring page
• Animation video “Don’t Play with Matches”
• Resource article “Children’s Natural Curiosity with Fire”
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi

Know What to Do If You are Burned!
Stop, Drop, and Roll.  How to cool a burn.

• Safety Tips for Parents and Teachers
• Available in English, French, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Punjabi
• Activity sheets suited to grade levels
• Animation video “Stop, Drop, and Roll”
• Animation video “Cool a Burn”