Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps Place First at the Phi Beta Lambda National Leadership Conference in Chicago

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps members comprised of students from the University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) organization in Clarksville, Arkansas, recently won first place in the Community Service competitive event at the PBL National Leadership Conference in Chicago, Illinois. Their Fire Corps project was selected from a field of 25 universities and colleges from across the United States.

Phi Beta Lambda is a national education association of students preparing for careers in business and business-related fields. Its mission is to bring business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership, career development, and community service programs.

Senior marketing major and RFD #1 Fire Corps Director, Kari Wood, from San Antonio, Texas led the Fire Corps effort to a first place in the PBL Community Service competition.

Fire Corps is a component of Citizen Corps, a national grassroots effort under the Department of Homeland Security to involve citizens in helping their communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to natural and man-made disasters and other emergencies.

Ozarks’ Fire Corps members assist Johnson County RFD #1 firefighters with a variety of efforts, including conducting fire safety education in the county, state and nation. PBL members participating in Fire Corps earn community service credit for their involvement with the program.

Fire Corps members promote fire safety to young children in schools within a two county area and to their peers on campus. Members have been instrumental in helping the department’s public fire and life safety educator reach millions of children and their caregivers nationwide with their fire safety efforts through the national media on FOX and Friends and PBS KIDS Sprout. Among the many fire safety related educational activities the students participate in include installing smoke alarms for residents in the community, co-sponsoring a Fire Safety Billboard and Calendar contest for local school children, and helping plan and implement the annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade and Kidsfest Safety Fair in which attendance doubled last year.

Since its involvement in spring of 2005, Fire Corps members have donated over 5,000 hours and participate in over 350 hours of fire safety education training annually. Their efforts, along with department’s firefighters, helped produce a 34 percent decrease in residential property loss for the department’s district.

Fire Corps members concentrate a majority of their time promoting Fire Corps and its benefits statewide and nationally. Members are also working to promote Fire Corps as a national FBLA-PBL community service project among 15,000 chapters across the US.

For more information on Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps program, visit the department’s website at http://www.rfd1.com/ or contact Dayna Hilton at daynark@gmail.com

Firefly the Fire Safety Clown to Make Debut at Health Fair

Firefly the Fire Safety Clown can not wait to make her debut at the Health Fair in Clarksville this coming Wednesday.

"Being a clown is oh so much fun, but being a Fire Safety Clown is even funner!" stated Firefly in a recent interview. "Teaching fire safety to boys and girls is oh so important, and I have been going to a special clown school to learn how to share important fire safety tips with the boys and girls in Johnson County. And, I'll tell you a secret! I am just as excited to share those tips with the grownups too!"

Come meet Firefly at the Health Fair at the Marvin Vinson Center on the 9th of May from 8:30-3:00. She can not wait to meet you!

News Release May 5, 2007

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps Assists Arkansas Children’s Hospital with Camp Sunshine

CLARKSVILLE, AR. (May 4, 2007) -- The Johnson County Rural Fire District #1 Fire Corps (members of University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise organizations) will be volunteering at Camp Sunshine this August in order to support the Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Camp Sunshine is an annual four-day summer camp held specifically for children who are burn survivors. The event provides the children with a unique opportunity to attend a summer camp without having to be concerned with their injuries or appearance. For four days, the children can focus solely on having fun.

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps members will be involved in several ways at Camp Sunshine. The members will join with the children in playing games and participating in scheduled activities. Perhaps the biggest project Fire Corps is hoping to engage in would be to create a promotional video for the camp. Since most of the members are business, marketing, or communications majors, they have the skills necessary to execute the project.

After the Fire Corps group became aware of Camp Sunshine and its mission, Kari Wood, the Director, went to Little Rock to visit the Burn Center at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and learn more about how the two organizations could benefit each other. She met with the Nursing Director, Outreach Coordinator, and the Director of Camp Sunshine to discuss possible projects that Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps could assist the hospital and Burn Center in executing.
After her experience, Kari said, “I’m really excited about the possibilities open to us in helping Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Together, our organizations will make a great team and help a lot of people.”

Anyone who is interested in learning more about Camp Sunshine or the Burn Center can call or email Gretta Wilkinson at 501-364-1323 or wilkinsonge@archildrens.org.

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps Hits Milestone

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps has reached a milestone. Fire Corps members, comprised of University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise students have volunteered 4050 hours since its humble beginnings of starting a Fire Corps program in March 2005. From giving up their weekends and evenings to leaving at 6 in the morning for fire safety activities, members have given graciously of their time and talents. Thank you Fire Corps!

Winners of Fire Safety Calendar recognized

Johnson County RFD #1, in cooperation with First Security Bank, Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps (University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise organizations) invited all Johnson County students to use their artistic ability to help spread the fire prevention message. Over 1000 entries were received. The Grand Prize winning drawing by Kimaly Tarter is featured on a billboard on west Highway 64 during the month of October and on the cover of the 2007 Johnson County Fire Safety calendar. The additional winning drawings, along with the artist’s photos will be featured in the calendar.

Fire Safety Awareness Parade and Kidsfest Safety Fair a Huge Success!

From the press release submitted to the media:

Forty fire trucks and emergency vehicles from Johnson and Logan counties participated in the Fourth Annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade held in Clarksville. The parade, held on October 7th, kicked off the National Fire Protection Association’s Fire Prevention Week, October 8-14. Parade Marshals for this year’s parade are were Congressman John Boozman, State Senator Randy Laverty and State Representative George Overbey. The three were chosen by Johnson County Fire Chiefs as parade marshals for their support of the fire service in Johnson County.

Kidsfest Safety Fair followed the parade and was held at the Marvin Vinson Center in which 11 fire departments and 17 other agencies participated in the event. New to the event was the display by Clarksville Light and Water, Sparkles’ Spot sponsored by the Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps members, Stranger Danger by Inferno Martial Arts, Internet Safety by the Clarksville High School East Lab, Hunter Education by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission , Basic First Aid Tips by the Girl Scout Peachtree Service Unit, Outdoor Fire Safety by the Lamar Girl Scouts and the Teddy Bear Clinic, in which over 150 children brought in their teddy bears for a checkup. Project Kid Print ID’d 340 children at the event.

According to Dayna Hilton, Johnson County Fire Prevention Week Coordinator, both events were a success and the attendance doubled over last year’s events. To view photos of the day’s highlights, visit http://www.rfd1.com/ and click on the “photo” link. For more information on these events, please Contact Dayna Hilton at 479-754-8652 or daynark@gmail.com

PBS KIDS Sprout Safety Tips Now On-line

The PBS KIDS Sprout Safety Tips that RFD #1 Public Fire and Life Safety Educator, Dayna Hilton, along with Sparkles and Spanner helped with, are now online! Join Sparkles, Spanner and Firefighter Dayna for some important fire safety tips to help keep you safe! http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/firesafety/video.php

Fire Safety Billboard Contest Winner Announced

Release Date: October 4, 2006

Winner of the Fourth Annual Fire Safety Billboard Contest is Kimaly Tarter of Clarksville. Kimaly is a 6th grader in Ms. Melson’s class at Kraus Middle School. The contest was open to Johnson County students and over 1000 entries were received. The winning drawing will be featured on a billboard on west Highway 64 during the month of October and on the cover of the 2007 Fire Safety Calendar.

The contest was sponsored by Johnson County RFD #1, the Department of Homeland Security, Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps (University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise organizations) and First Security Bank of Clarksville.

FOX and Friends

RFD #1 Public Fire and Life Safety Educator, Dayna Hilton, RFD #1 Fire Corps member, Kari Woods, Sparkles and Spanner were live on FOX and Friends September 24th in New York City.

Hilton shared fire safety tips and Sparkles demonstrated how to "Get low and go". The show was seen by over 3 million viewers.

To see pictures, visit: http://good-times.webshots.com/album/554493058SNRihn

RFD #1 Public Educator and Fire Corps Member Participate in Congressional Briefing

Press Release from the National Volunteer Fire Council:

Johnson County RFD #1 Public Fire and Life Safety Educator and Fire Corps member Participate in Fire Corps Congressional Briefing

The Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), in cooperation with Fire Corps and Citizen Corps, hosted a briefing about the Fire Corps program on Monday, September 25. Attendees included congressional staff members as well as Representative John Boozman (R-AR). Sarah Lee, Director of Fire Corps, Lori Moon, Fire Corps Program Coordinator, and Karen Marsh, Director of Citizen Corps, conducted the briefing.

Lee and Moon began the briefing by showing one of the new Fire Corps promotional videos and then providing the audience with an introduction to Fire Corps. Dayna Hilton, the coordinator of the Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps in Clarksville, Arkansas, was invited to discuss the impact her department’s successful Fire Corps program has had on her community. “Fire Corps has truly made our fire safety program more successful,” Hilton said. “We would not have been able to reach as many people with fire safety messages without Fire Corps.”

Kari Wood, a member of the Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps that includes University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise members, spoke about her personal experience with Fire Corps, including participating in an initiative where she reads to first and second graders to impart fire safety messages. “I know that I am making a difference,” Wood said. She later noted, “Knowing that I am able to have that impact is amazing and incredible and Fire Corps made that possible.”

Representative Boozman, who has actively supported Fire Corps and whose district includes Johnson County, praised the program and encouraged other congressional offices to support Fire Corps. “It’s such a great program and it is certainly something our office is committed to supporting,” he said, adding, “We are so proud of our Clarksville group which has done such a great job.”

Marsh concluded the briefing with an overview of how Fire Corps fits into the broader umbrella of Citizen Corps. She stressed the need for citizen preparedness and participation, as well as the importance of citizens, first responders, and government working together in community planning.

CFSI’s congressional briefings are informal roundtable discussions which allow congressional staff to learn more about the legislative priorities of the fire and emergency services and how their Senator or Representative can become more involved in public safety initiatives both on Capitol Hill and in their congressional districts. Past topics of discussion include the role of first responders in the Department of Homeland Security, proposed changes to the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program, the reorganization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and wildland/urban interface fires.

To see pictures, visit http://good-times.webshots.com/album/554492496fWYylk

RFD #1 Public Educator Participates in PBS KIDS Sprout Project

Press Release from the National Volunteer Fire Council:

Johnson County RFD #1 Educator, Dayna Hilton, will be sharing fire safety tips on PBS KIDS Sprout during Fire Prevention Week in October. Hilton will appear in several 1 ?-minute segments to air in conjunction with the launch of the new Sprout series Fireman Sam.

Fireman Sam is designed to communicate valuable lessons for children regarding fire safety and social responsibilities for the community. It will air weekend mornings on PBS KIDS Sprout at 8:30 a.m. ET. As part of the launch for the program, Sprout will air Hilton’s “Fire Safety Tips” segments four times a day during Fire Prevention Week (October 8-14) and continuing through the launch of Fireman Sam on October 14 and 15. The segments will feature several important fire safety messages for preschool age children, and Hilton will also talk about fire equipment and the firefighting profession.

Hilton manages the department’s successful Fire Corps program. The efforts of Hilton, RFD #1’s firefighters, and the Fire Corps team, comprised of University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise members, resulted in a 34% decrease in fire-related residential property losses in the department’s district between 2004 and 2005. Hilton was also the recipient of the National Volunteer Fire Council’s (NVFC) 2006 Fire Prevention Award. The award, sponsored by First Alert, is given annually to a volunteer firefighter who exemplifies the philosophy of fire prevention through their contributions to the field.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to share fire safety messages with so many children and their caregivers,” said Hilton. “According to the U.S. Fire Administration, the very young (those under 5) have a much greater risk of death than other children. In fact, that age group accounts for 12% of fire related deaths – the highest proportion for any age group. Thanks to the good folks at the NVFC and everyone at PBS KIDS Sprout, who have worked tirelessly to have the most up-to-date fire safety messages in their programming, the project has the potential of helping change these unfortunate statistics."

The Fire Corps program is involved in many initiatives that promote fire safety. Fire Corps, which is administered on a national level by the NVFC, is a federally-funded, locally-driven effort under Citizen Corps that encourages community members to offer their time and talents to their local fire/EMS departments in a non-emergency capacity, enabling the department personnel to focus their efforts on providing emergency services. Fire Corps allows departments to provide additional services they may not otherwise be able to offer, including fire safety training in the community. Fire Corps and the NVFC are both members of the National Preparedness Month Coalition and supporters of Fire Prevention Week. Learn more about Fire Corps at http://www.firecorps.org/ and the NVFC at http://www.nvfc.org/.

“It is very important to teach children fire safety at an early age, and I applaud PBS KIDS Sprout for their efforts,” said Philip C. Stittleburg, Chairman of the NVFC. “Dayna is the perfect choice to deliver the Fire Safety Tips segments. Her dedication to fire safety, along with her enthusiasm and knowledge, make her ideal for this project.”

PBS KIDS SproutSM, the first and only 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, the country’s leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services; HIT Entertainment, a leading provider of quality entertainment for young children; PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), the most trusted distributor of award-winning children’s programming; and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street.

Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, PBS KIDS Sprout has become the #1 Kids On Demand service, generating over 100 million orders since launch. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (http://www.sproutletsgrow.com/), is available on digital cable and satellite to almost 20 million committed subscribers. The network’s program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based children’s shows includes: Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat™, Caillou™, The Berenstain Bears™, Jay Jay the Jet Plane™, Teletubbies™, Dragon Tales™, Pingu™, Make Way For Noddy™ and more.

To see photos from the project, visit http://travel.webshots.com/album/554489054hXXuXe

New Photos Posted

http://community.webshots.com/user/johnsoncountyrfd1

Fourth Annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade and Kidsfest Safety Fair

Plans are underway for the Fourth Annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade and Kidsfest Safety Fair. Fire Departments from Johnson, Franklin and Logan counties, along with the Arkansas
Forestry Commission and the US Forest Service will be participating in the Fourth Annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade to be held in Clarksville. The parade, held on October 7th, will kick off Fire Prevention Week, October 8-14. The theme for Fire Prevention Week is Prevent Cooking Fires, Watch What You Heat. The parade will start at 10 A.M. and will travel west from Main Street and Rogers Street to Main Street and Crawford Street.

Pipers will be leading the parade followed by the Boy Scout Troop 76 Honor Guard. Fire trucks and emergency vehicles will then go to the Marvin Vinson Center at 1611 Oakland Street where they will be parked. People will have the opportunity to see the trucks up close and meet the firefighters.

Kidsfest Safety Fair will be held at the Marvin Vinson Center from 11 A.M. until 2 P.M. There will be activities by various agencies in Johnson County. A more detailed list of participants will be published on this blog at a later date.

Fourth Annual Fire Safety Calendar and Billboard Contest Announced

RFD #1 is calling all young artists in Johnson County!

Do you like to draw? Do you have a fire safety message that you would like to tell everyone? Would you like your drawing displayed on a billboard? If so, participate in the Fourth Annual Fire Safety Billboard Contest!

October is National Fire Prevention Month. Johnson County RFD #1, in cooperation with Clear Channel Outdoor, First Security Bank, University of the Ozarks Phi Beta Lambda and Students in Free Enterprise organizations, invites students to use their artistic ability to help spread the fire prevention message. The contest is open to all Johnson County students.

The grand prize drawing will be featured on a billboard on Highway 64 during the month of October and in the Fire Safety Calendar. Twelve other winning drawings will be chosen (one from each grade) to appear in the 2007 Johnson County Fire Safety Calendar. Winners will have their photos on the calendar and will receive $25! The Grand Prize winner will get to ride on a fire truck with Sparky during the Fire Safety Awareness parade in Clarksville.

For contest rules and information, please visit RFD #1's website at http://www.rfd1.com

Clarksville Chamber of Commerce Newsletter

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Safety Team and Fire Corps featured on Clarksville Chamber of Commerce August 2006 newsletter: http://www.clarksvillearchamber.com/news.htm

Visits to Sponsors

Today we visited our Fire Safety Team sponsors. Thanks to their support, we are able to help keep the residents of Johnson County fire safe. Here are some photos from today's visits. Click on the photo to see an enlarged version.

Group W Insurance

First Security Bank of Clarksville

State Farm Insurance

Home Showcase

Phil Taylor Insurance

Regions Bank

Whitson-Morgan

Clarksville Medical Group

Baldor

Farm Bureau

Wal-Mart Supercenter #66

First Arkansas Valley Bank

Are you interesting in helping us promote fire safety? We'd love to have you on our team!

Contact Fred or Billie Taylor at 479.754.6052 or Dayna Hilton at daynark@gmail.com We'll be happy to provide you with more information on becoming a sponsor!

Fire Engineering magazine

Would you like more information on forming your own Fire Corps? Check out the July issue of Fire Engineering magazine. Johnson County RFD #1 Public Educator, Dayna Hilton and former RFD #1 Fire Corps member, Lori Moon, co-authored the article. You will find valuable information on how to start your own Fire Corps, how to engage Citizen Advocates, and much much more!

Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps featured on Fire Corps e-update

Information on Johnson County RFD #1 Fire Corps was recently featured on the Fire Corps e-update. To view the update, go to http://www.firecorps.org/eupdate/20060713.cfm

Judge Mike Jacabs issues Burn Ban

Burn Ban in effect for Johnson County

Please do not do any outdoor burning. The fire danger is high in our county and conditions could cause the burning of materials to spread easily.

Wildfire Danger

To view the fire danger in your area, go to http://www.forestry.state.ar.us/fd/bbmap_png.php3. In Johnson County, you must call the Sheriff's Office at 479.754.2200 or the Clarksville Police Department at 479.754.8100 if you live within the Clarksville city limits before burning.