Fire Prevention Week and Poster Contest

Open House

ARLINGTON, VA – Fire Prevention Week is October 7th thru the 13th this year. Arlington County Fire Department will host an Open House event on Saturday, October 13, 2018 from 1000 – 1600 hours at all 10 fire stations. All stations will have light refreshments and give away items. Some stations will have attractions including: popcorn, cotton candy, moon bounce, face painter, costume fire gear for small children and fire safety props. Each station is different, so you’re encouraged to visit more than one station.

This year’s Fire Prevention Week theme provided by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) “LOOK. LISTEN. LEARN. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere”, highlights three important actions to keep yourself and your family safe from fire.

Look for places fire could start. Take a good look around your home. Identify potential fire hazards and address them. If necessary, have a qualified professional correct any hazards.

Listen for the sound of a smoke alarm. A smoke alarm is the most important safety feature of your home. Properly installed, working smoke alarms in your home cuts your risk of dying in a fire in half.

• Install on every level of your home, including the basement and in every sleeping area.
• Test smoke alarms once a month by pushing the “test button.”
• Install new batteries at least twice a year, when you change your clocks for daylight savings.
• Replace smoke alarms every 10 years.

Learn two ways out of every room. Create and practice a home fire escape plan with everyone in your household. In a typical home fire, you may have as little as one to two minutes to escape safely from the time the smoke alarm sounds.

• Plan two escape routes from every room, usually a door and a window.
• Provide alternatives for anyone with a disability.
• Agree on a meeting place where everyone will gather after you have escaped.

Youth Poster Contest

The Arlington County fire department will be hosting a youth poster contest coinciding with Fire Prevention Week to promote the theme
“LOOK. LISTEN. LEARN. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere”. Any child in kindergarten through 8th grade is eligible to participate. Posters must be delivered to the fire stations by October 12, 2018. Please ensure your poster has the child’s contact information clearly written on the back, including their name, parent’s name, home phone number and email. Posters will not be returned.

The fire department’s Public Information Committee will select winners based on originality, clarity of message, and design. All 10 station winners will
be awarded a small prize and two grand prize winners will win either a ride to school in a fire truck or dinner at a fire station.

Poster Contest 2018 Flyer

Contest Rules

1. Posters should promote fire prevention the Fire Prevention Week theme:
   “LOOK. LISTEN. LEARN. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere” and encourage fire safety awareness in the home, school or community.
2. A panel of judges will select the winning posters based on originality, clarity of message, and design. The decision of the judges is final.
3. Posters must conform to the following description:
   1. Maximum size: 22 inches by 28 inches.
   2. Kind:  Any art medium.  Including painted cut-outs, ink, crayons, chalks, pencils, computer graphics, but not limited to these.
   3. No objects over one-half inch in thickness are to be placed on the poster.
   4. No live matches may be used on the poster.
4. Children in Kindergarten through 8^th grade are eligible to participate.  The Contest will be divided into two (2) age groups: (K thru 4th) and (5th-8th).
5. On the backside of the poster please clearly write:
   1. Child’s Full Name.
   2. Phone number or Email.
   3. Child’s Grade.
6. Posters are officially entered when they are delivered to any ACFD fire station and a picture is posted on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram tagging @ArlingtonVaFD.
7. All entries must be submitted by October 12, 2018, to be eligible for a prize.
8. Only one (1) entry per person.
9. All posters become the property of the Arlington County Fire Department and will not be returned.
10. Prizes:
    1. Grand Prize: Dinner at a Fire Station or Ride to School in Arlington County on a Fire Truck
    2. Runner Ups: ACFD T-shirt or Hat