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Steve Bethk eo public fire educator of
<br />ffie MineapoliS Fire Department,, says,
<br />Wben the MBA called with this idea, we
<br />jumped at the chance to become mo vol ved.
<br />,
<br />Moist cities don't have the budget for a
<br />project of this size and scope. We are real-i
<br />ly excited, about this " ,
<br />OPPOnuni it to teach
<br />the most critical issues of fire safety tin, a
<br />realistic yet non ening envinment.110
<br />The Fire Department and the Mi,n,ne-
<br />apolis, Builders Association are also de-
<br />veloping support materi als and brochures
<br />to distribute to, children, who partic'
<br />in ipate
<br />in a Safe Escape House drill.
<br />"I'lie project i� giving us a vehicle to get
<br />our message home to the parents as,
<br />welly" Bethke says. As an added, attrac-
<br />tion, the Fire Department is b
<br />usy
<br />a, Dal i rirfing
<br />y, esChI "
<br />to dem,-
<br />onstrate the escape technique of crawling
<br />through the house underneath the smoke,
<br />cover. KARE-TV Channel I I wily film the
<br />dogy s progress. he
<br />When Bethke revealed plans, for the
<br />Safe Escape House at the National, Fire
<br />Academy in Emimitsburgt Maryland,, sev_
<br />eral other city fire departments expressed
<br />an interest in bulilding their own versions.
<br />a d The United States has the worst fire
<br />death rate of any industrialized country in
<br />the wor�ld," -gays, Befte. "This project is
<br />a, big step in the direction of correcting
<br />this problem." He says, most U.S. cities
<br />I
<br />spend their entire fire department bud-
<br />gets on suppression of fires, and have
<br />little money left over for preventive edu-
<br />cation. Volunteers, and, professional asso-
<br />ciations like the M BA ' can be essential in,
<br />proviidi'ng this m�uch-needed siervice�.
<br />Winkels,olf'HBI,isays the actual,biu,ild,-
<br />ing went very well and was satisfying for,
<br />the vociational students who took part.
<br />I iThis was real rewarding for the students
<br />who got, involved. It gave them hands-on
<br />experience, and they all felt good about
<br />28/1988 PARADE OAF HOMES
<br />Visiting the MBA Safe Escape House in midiiiii
<br />mwftclion at the Hu�bertH. Humphrqjob
<br />COrPS are Comm ittee memben ffrom left) ste,,
<br />Bethke, Minneapolis Fire DePartmentpublic
<br />fireeducat0r; TOM Stoltz, Job Corps public,
<br />relations director; Carla 1 I, MBA
<br />e=utive vice Presiden it; Jim, Winkelsi HBI
<br />instructor; and B=eElkmons, 1'9498'Para*
<br />BOardchairman.
<br />the cause. I think it's great that :CBI got
<br />involvedi a local community project and
<br />helped the fire department to educate
<br />children.911
<br />The Safe Escape House is targeted, to,
<br />elementary school children in, fourth, fifth,
<br />and s ixth, gradesi, and is used to back up
<br />the National Fire Protection Associa-
<br />t'On s "'Learn Not to Burn" fire saf ery cur-i
<br />riculurn. The unit can be towed, by a small
<br />four- wheel- drive car or min,i-tru,c�k for
<br />touring schools, parks, and other sites.
<br />The program will reinforce awareness
<br />of the need to buy and install smoke detec-
<br />toirs," make and practice a home fire es-i
<br />cape pilan ; and review safety techniques.
<br />Firefighters, begin, their 'instruction with
<br />an, oral, presentation to the g-rio
<br />d, up, which
<br />•
<br />includes fire prievention. instruction with
<br />attentions given to, home escape planni ng
<br />and smoke detector awareness. , Then the
<br />children are taken into the Safe ]Escape
<br />House in groups of up to eight. Then fire-
<br />fighters , in the control rooms begin the
<br />pireplanned practical drill.
<br />"If" we are able to save just one child 11 S
<br />life, with our project, (the Safe Escape
<br />House] will have been a, great su ess,,,
<br />says the MBA11 s Roehl. "This is the Mira-i
<br />neapolis Builders Association's way of
<br />giving its support and resources back to
<br />the community.
<br />Jodie A h i is, editor of Minnesota
<br />Home & Design magazine.
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