From: Glen.Strecker@f2.n390.z1.fidonet.org (Glen Strecker)
Newsgroups: misc.emerg-services
Subject: Fire Prevention Puppets
Date: 25 Aug 92 13:42:50 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:390/2 - The Fire Scene, Slidell LA


                  FIRE PREVENTION PUPPETS DEBUT 
                         by Lisa Kirkemo 
    The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Prevention Company recently  
recruited some new members. Their names are SNIFFS. Mad Match and  
Larry the Lighter.  Sound like strange names for volunteer  
firefighters?  Not when you consider they are the latest  
additions to the family of puppets used in Lebanon's well known  
traveling fire safety puppet show. These new puppets will make  
their debut this fall when Lebanon releases their latest fire  
prevention video. 
    The Lebanon Volunteer Fire Prevention Company was formed in  
1986. Members are the department's fire marshal. assistant fire  
marshal and seventeen volunteers. While they provide prevention  
presentations, fire extinguisher classes and station tours. the  
company is best known for its fire safety puppet show. Their  
Muppet-style puppets perform to a series of commercial dialogues  
and songs: Good Fire. Bad Fire; Crawl Low in Smoke: Match Safety; 
Stop. Drop and Roll and Calling for Help. In addition, the  
Lebanon company performs skits from scripts they wrote themselves  
as well as humorous ad-libbed dialogues between a Dalmatian,  
'Sparky Jr.,' and 'Elvis' the hound dog. 
    In 1986, the Prevention Company worked with Chemeketa  
Community College to produce a video of their puppet programs.  
Over 700 copies of Fun With Fire Safety have been sent to fire  
departments across the United States and Canada and to agencies  
In New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. 
    The Prevention Company is now producing a sequel with a new  
format and new fire and life safety issues.  The topics in this  
new teaching tool are kitchen safety, calling 9- 1- 1, bike  
helmets, poison prevention, matches and lighters are tools, what  
is an emergency, exit drills in the home and smoke detectors. 
    Since this video covers new topics, the company needed some  
new puppets. They contacted Tony and Deb Petzold, Evergreen  
Family Productions, who are professionals in the design,  
construction and performance of puppets and who have worked on  
numerous Muppet movies.  Tony and Deb transformed sketches of  
SNIFFS, Mad Match and the Lighter into action puppets with noses  
that sniff for smoke, eyes that pop open in the matchbook and  
cellophane flames which flicker out the top of the lighter. 
    Clackamas Fire District # 1, Multnomah Community Television  
and the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal are providing 
production assistance. The video will be ready for distribution  
in September. Copies will be available for approximately $8.00  
each from Fire Marshal Ray Fair, Lebanon Fire District, 1050 W.  
Oak St., Lebanon, OR 97355, (503) 451 - 1901. 
 
    About the author Lisa Kirkemo is a fire and life safety  
consultant She is also an illustrator and photographer and has a  
BA in Fire Arts from the University of Montana She scripted and  
coordinated production for the video, "Fun with Fire Safety...  
The Sequel" 
 
                 EVERGREEN FAMILY PRODUCTIONS, PUPPETEERS 
        Tony and Deb Petzold, co-founders of Evergreen Family Productions, 
recently created life-size puppets of Larry the Lighter, Mad Match and SNIFFS, 
 
the smoke detector, for the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Prevention Company. 
Evergreen Family Productions designs, constructs and operates custom puppets 
and animated characters for stage, film and video. 
        The Lighter has a movable mouth and a battery-powered fan which 
operates an adjustable "flame." Mad Match has a movable mouth and eyes and 
has 'matches" on rods for arms. The lighter and matchbook cost $ 150 each. 
The SNIFFS smoke detector puppet has arms controlled by rods, a movable 
mouth, and an animated nose (to sniff out danger). SNIFFS is about 14" wide 
and sells for $175.

        To order these puppets, contact Tony Petzold, Evergreen Family 
Productions, 191 25th Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97301, (503) 588-9915. 
 
(From HOT ISSUES - Vol.2, No.4 - Newsletter of the Oregon Juvenile 
Firesetter Task Force.) 
 
... OFFLINE 1.39 * Promote "Learn Not To Burn" in schools 


 

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Newsgroups: misc.emerg-services