Scouts will be spreading word of fire safety
Area fire marshals and inspectors found a way to blanket the area and spread the word about prevention: they are mobilizing the troops - area Boy Scout troops, that is.
Scouts from eight Boy Scout councils in Northern Illinois, or potentially more than 120,000 boys, are partnering with Illinois Fire Inspectors and the Illinois Fire Chiefs associations on what they are calling a "Good Turn" project.
Specifically, they include the Northwest Suburban Council, based in Mount Prospect, the Northeast Council based in Highland Park, Blackhawk based in Rockford, the Des Plaines Valley Council based in La Grange, Three Fires Council based in St. Charles, Rainbow Council, based in Morris, Calumet Council in Munster, Ind., and the Chicago Metropolitan Council.
Boys from these councils will be going door to door in their neighborhoods handing out fire safety door hangers. Each one promotes the importance of having a fire safety escape plan, and a fire safety checklist for the home.
The hangers also remind families to check smoke detectors and carbon monoxide monitors once a month, and to change the batteries twice a year.
Their goal is to distribute as many as 750,000 door hangers during October, to raise awareness of fire safety and prevention.
Look for them to be hitting the pavement during October, recognized nationally as fire safety month, and more than likely during the week of Oct. 5-11, or fire prevention week.
Kevin Chapman of Mount Prospect, a former Scoutmaster and volunteer for the Northwest Suburban Boy Scout Council, who works in the commercial fire system industry, says the newfound partnership is a win-win.
He points to the Boy Scout slogan, "Do a good turn daily," and its motto, "be prepared," in describing the project as a perfect fit.
"When we heard about this, we thought there was no down side," Chapman says. "The boys get exposed to a worthwhile community service project, and they learn more about fire safety in the process."
Some of the Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops from Mount Prospect and Elk Grove Village got a jump-start on the project this month. They met with Mount Prospect fire inspector Jim Miller, who described some fire prevention tips that the Scouts could promote along their routes.
Many of the Cub Scouts in the eight councils will be receiving their fire safety hangers this month, when they receive their traditional popcorn order forms. Officials hope that when they make their sales rounds, they will hand out the hangers at the same time.
Like any good sales program, the Scouts will have some incentives.
For distributing a minimum of 10 hangers, they will receive a patch. What's more, their work on the project will meet some of the requirements for the fire safety merit badge, and emergency preparedness, one of the mandatory merit badges needed to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout.
Nancy Loftus, who works for the Three Fires Boy Scout Council in St. Charles, points to statistics that say that the installation of both smoke alarms and fire sprinklers in a home can reduce the risk of dying by fire, by 82 percent.
George Michehl, Illinois Fire Inspectors' Association executive director, commends the Scouts for their efforts.
"We thank each and every Boy Scout, their parents and the councils," Michehl says. "There is no way the fire service alone could have achieved this kind of mass delivery system."