U.S. Fire Administration
Acknowledgements

Preparation of this Fire Safety Program Toolkit was made possible thanks 

to the cooperation and hard work of numerous firefighters, public 

information officers, public education coordinators, and staff of local 

fire departments and state fire marshal’s offices throughout the United 

States who contributed countless hours to review, test, and critique this 

toolkit. The results of their feedback and dedication will help fire safety 

professionals nationwide develop fire safety education and prevention 

programs designed to reduce fire-related injury and mortality rates 

suffered throughout the country.

Development of the toolkit was funded by the Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Injury Prevention and Control 

(NCIPC) under Contract No. 200-2007-21025 to Information Ventures, Inc.
Toolkit

At a Glance

This toolkit was designed with fire safety education personnel in mind and 

aims to provide free tools and materials to assist in the development of 

educational programs. The toolkit breaks down the program development 

process into five basic steps to create or enhance a fire safety education 

program for your community. Additionally, a “Beyond the Basics” in each 

section has even more resources, strategies, and tools. This overview gives 

you a snapshot of the process for developing a successful program.

3 PLAN & 

IMPLEMENT 

YOUR PROGRAM

•	 Develop	purpose,	goals	&	objectives

•	 Create	an	action	plan

•	 Assemble	program	materials	

1 ASSESS YOUR 

COMMUNITY

•	 Gather	information	on	your	community

•	 Determine	fire	safety	risks

•	 Write	a	problem	statement

2 DEVELOP 

PARTNERSHIPS

•	 Research	best	practices	

•	 Identify	potential	partners

•	 Create	a	community	group

4 MARKET YOUR 

PROGRAM

•	 Research	marketing	strategies	

•	 Develop	a	marketing	plan

•	 Create	marketing	materials

5 EVALUATE

•	 Determine	evaluation	measures

•	 Track	program	activity

•	 Analyze	and	report	the	data

Step 1. Assess Your Community

This first step in the program development process will help focus your efforts. 

Begin gathering information about your community (e.g., size, location, 

residents, data on recent fires, etc.) and complete a Community Profile 

Worksheet. You may also develop methods for collecting more information—

such as a short survey given to community residents on fire prevention 

measures in the home. The information that you collect will identify your 

community fire safety needs. You will then develop a problem statement for 

use when you plan your fire safety education program. You may also look for 

sources of financial support for your program through community partners 

and local businesses that can provide resources for funding and growing your 

program. Once you have developed your problem statement, you will need to 

find people who can help address the needs identified in step 1.
At a Glance Step 2. Develop Partnerships

Moving on to step 2, you will generate a list of potential partners. These can 

include public health agencies, service organizations, civic groups, literacy 

training programs, and faith-based organizations willing to partner with or 

provide resource support to your fire safety prevention program. Invite 

potential partners to become part of a group that will create a plan of action 

for development of your program. 

Step 3. Plan and Implement Your Program 

In step 3, you will plan your program from start to finish and then move on 

to actually implementing the program with your audience. Planning meetings 

with community partners and key stakeholders will assist your team with 

setting its main program goals and objectives. Once your program’s goals and 

objectives are set, you can develop specific materials for your audience and 

create an Implementation Plan and Timeline. 

Planning your program will likely take most of your time and effort. Be sure 

to allow enough time to work with your partners to plan a quality program 

from the start through to the evaluation at the end of your program. 

The CDC and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) also have a companion 

document titled Fire Safety Trailer Curriculum which can assist you with full 

lesson plans and lesson materials that are geared toward use of a fire safety 

trailer, but can be adapted for your program needs.

Step 4. Market Your Program

Once your program is developed and your timeline is established, step 4 

will show you how to market your program to get the word out to your 

community. Your marketing plan will include details about your program 

and materials to help you promote it. You’ll want to consider who your 

target audience is, what your message is, and how you will choose the best 

communication channels to deliver that message. 

Step 5. Evaluate

Evaluation of your program, the fifth and final step in your program, actually 

begins with the planning and implementation process in step 3. In that step, 

you will develop evaluation tools to assess the effectiveness of your program. 

In step 5, you will see the outcome measures you developed and the results of 

your efforts. The evaluation will: 

 help determine the impact of your program on the target community,

 provide you with feedback to improve existing and future programs, and 

 provide data essential to secure renewed funding. 
At a Glance

The toolkit provides you with a basic understanding of the different methods 

of evaluation, tools to collect information on your program, instructions on 

how to analyze the information collected, and how to use feedback to improve 

future programs. 

The toolkit provides four more sections with materials and resources designed 

to help develop your program even further. 

6 7 8 9

Fund Your Program

A program cannot go forward without funding to support it. This section 

focuses on how to get funding for your program through grant applications. It 

also covers ideas for getting financial support for your program through your 

local community. This toolkit provides checklists and outlines to organize 

your grant writing effort, tips to make your application stand out from the 

rest, and budget writing tips to make sure your application covers all related 

expenses. No matter how your program is funded, ensure that you create a 

budget and keep track of it.

Teaching Strategies and Sample Materials

The strategies in this section can be used with a variety of topics relating 

to fire safety education. Strategies in this section are designed to help you 

develop specific lesson plans and accompanying materials for your target 

audiences, such as:

 young children, 

 adolescents,

 adults, and 

 older adults. 

Information is also included to assist you with creating appropriate messages 

and presentation techniques for different groups, keeping in mind different 

cultures, physical and emotional abilities, and decision making skills.

Toolkit in Action: A Sample Smoke Alarm Installation Program

Find out how the steps in the toolkit can be applied to a smoke alarm 

installation program. This section includes background and statistics for the 

program, an overview of smoke alarm technology, and suggestions for how 

to train staff to deliver an effective smoke alarm installation program in your 

community. There is also a snapshot of a sample program with an overview 

of each step, as well as sample materials and templates used to market and 

evaluate the program. 
At a Glance Resource Matrix

The final section of the toolkit contains an abundance of resources you can 

use during program development and beyond. This section contains tools 

and templates, lesson plans, sample materials, and links to websites that 

have materials for download that you can use to enhance and develop your 

program.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Fire Safety Program Toolkit

INTRODUCTION i–1

1 ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY 1–1

How To Assess Your Community’s Needs And Resources 1–1

Learning About Your Community 1–1

Determining Basic Fire Safety Risks In Your Community 1–3

Preparing A Basic Community Profile 1–3

Writing A Problem Statement 1–4

Beyond The Basics 1–5

Identifying the Resources of Groups 1–6

Identifying the Resources of Individuals 1–7

More Information 1–8

Resources 1–9

2 DEVELOP PARTNERSHIPS 2–1

How To Develop Partnerships 2–1

Getting Started 2–1

Understanding Best Practices For Partnership Development 2–3

Finding Potential Partners 2–5

Tips for Working with Partners 2–5

How to Maintain Partnerships 2–6

Beyond The Basics 2–7

Guidelines for Partner Meetings 2–7

Running Your Meeting 2–7

More Information 2–13

Resources 2–13
Fire Safety Program Toolkit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 PLAN AND IMPLEMENT YOUR PROGRAM 3–1

Getting Ready to Plan and Implement an Effective Program 3–1

Program Planning 3–2

Designing Your Program 3–2

Writing Your Program’s Goals and Objectives 3–3

Using Best Practices 3–4

Creating Programs for All Learning Styles 3–5

Tips for Developing Effective Powerpoint Presentations 3–7

Checklist for Delivering Presentations 3–7

Program Implementation 3–8

Developing Your Implementation Plan 3–8

Developing an Action Plan for Delivering Your Program to Your Community 3–9

Forming an Evaluation Plan 3–12

Beyond the Basics 3–10

Making Your Materials Easier to Read 3–11

Developing Clear and Simple Messages 3–13

More Information 3–15

Resources 3–16

4 MARKET YOUR PROGRAM 4–1

Reaching Your Audience 4–1

Why Promote Your Program? 4–1

Developing a Marketing Plan 4–1

Strategies for Promoting Programs 4–4

Getting the Word Out 4–4

Publicizing Success Stories 4–5

Marketing Materials 4–6

Beyond the Basics 4–7

Working With the Media 4–7

Determining What Media Outlets 4–8
Fire Safety Program Toolkit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Help the Media Help You 4–8

Making Best Use of Social Media Tools 4–9

Final Tips: Spreading the Word to Reach People 4–9

More Information 4–11

Resources 4–12

5 EVALUATE 5–1

Steps in Evaluations 5–1

Program Activities 5–2

Behavior Changes 5–2

Surveillance 5–2 

Beyond the Basics 5–3

Overview of CDC Evaluation Framework 5–3

Breakdown of Evaluation Steps 5–4

Reminders for Evaluation 5–14

More Information 5–15

Resources 5–16

6 FUND YOUR PROGRAM 6–1

Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant 6–1

Grant Writing Tips 6–2

Getting Organized to Write Your Grant Application 6–4

Preparing Your FP&S Grant Application 6–5

Preparing the Budget 6–7

Submitting Your FP&S Application 6–9

Other Sources of Grant Funding 6–9

Beyond the Basics 6–10

Grant Planning Guide 6–10

More Information 6–13

Resources 6–14
Fire Safety Program Toolkit

TABLE OF CONTENTS

7 TEACHING STRATEGIES 7–1

Teaching Strategies 7–1

Children 7–2

Adolescents, Adults, and Older Adults 7–2

Multicultural Competency and Health Literacy 7–3

Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities 7–4

Existing Fire Safety Programs and Activities 7–5

Sample Activities and Tip Sheets 7–7

8 TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE ALARM INSTALLATION 

PROGRAM 8–1

Background for Your Program 8–1

Why Smoke Alarm Installation Programs are Needed 8–2

The Statistics 8–3

Smoke Alarm Technology 8–3

Overview 8–3

Types of Sensors 8–4

Proper Placement 8–4

Maintenance 8–5

Staff Training on Smoke Alarm Model and Program 8–6

Overview of Program Implementation 8–7

Sample Program Planning Example— Mount Safety Fire Department 8–8

Resources 8–13

9 RESOURCES 9–1

FINAL THOUGHTS
INTRODUCTION

Fire Safety Program Toolkit i-1

The role of fire safety educators is complex and each community in which 

they work is unique. Communities vary with respect to fire safety risk factors, 

target audiences, and resources available. A one-size-fits-all approach just 

won’t work; that’s why this toolkit was created. It will lead you step by 

step through the development or enhancement of your fire safety education 

program to meet the specific needs of your community. 

Whether you are just getting started in fire safety education, or you are a 

seasoned educator, this toolkit will get you on your way to a successful 

program. To strengthen your skills and add accountability to your program, 

“Beyond the Basics” in each section has even more resources, strategies, and 

tools.

What’s in This Toolkit?

This toolkit includes all of the tools that you will need to build a successful 

fire safety education program, such as:

 Information to help you identify the characteristics and needs of your 

community.

 Procedures to help you determine the most important fire safety issues 

in your community.

 Tools to help you document community needs and plan programs that 

are well designed and organized. (A well-designed program is more 

likely to win grant support.) 

 Guidance to help you get the word out about your program, enlist 

partners in the community, and recruit people to participate in the 

program. 

 Information, guidelines, and checklists to help you evaluate the success 

of your program and help secure continued or future funding. 

 Resources to help make your program better, including:

•	 checklists, 

•	 templates, 

•	 sample letters, 

•	 worksheets, 
i-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

INTRODUCTION

•	 teaching strategies,

•	 posters, and 

•	 Web links to more in-depth sources of information.

This toolkit and the associated steps were guided by the Community Risk 

Reduction Model (also known as Integrated Risk Management, or IRM). 

The goal of Community Risk Reduction is to help identify risks and use a 

series of steps to find a solution to the problem. A fire safety educator using 

Community Risk Reduction can provide the highest level of protection for his 

or her community by preventing fire emergencies from happening in the first 

place. The model assumes that fire safety educators are employing a proactive 

approach to fire prevention in their community, rather than a reactive 

approach and simply fighting fires. Community Risk Reduction can provide 

you with overall planning direction for fire safety education. More information 

about Community Risk Reduction is available from the Institution of Fire 

Engineers1

.

The CDC and USFA also have a companion document titled Fire Safety Trailer 

Curriculum which can assist you with full lesson plans and lesson materials 

that are geared toward use of a fire safety trailer, but can be adapted for your 

program needs.

1 Institution of Fire Engineers. Integrated Risk Management: A Fire Service Context. Accessed March 2011. 

www.strategicfire.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/IRM%20-%202%20-%20MORE%20%20MODEL%20-%2011%2011%2010.pdf
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 1-1

1 How to Assess Your Community’s 

Needs and Resources1

The first step in developing a fire safety education 

program is to create an overall profile of your 

community. Learn as much as you can about 

your community, its fire safety risks, and those 

people most at risk for fire-related injury or death. 

A complete community profile will be a strong 

foundation for developing a community education 

program. 

This section of the toolkit walks you through how to conduct a community 

risk assessment to identify fire or injury problems that need to be addressed. 

Also, it will help you identify community resources that may be available to 

support a fire safety education program. Your community profile will help you 

tailor your fire safety education program to fit the people and needs of your 

community. These are critical questions to answer:

 What are the fire safety risks in your community? 

 What programs or services are currently being offered to address these 

risks? 

 What support is there within your organization and community—from 

the chief, community leaders, elected officials, other firefighters, and 

volunteers? 

 What community resources are available to help address fire safety 

risks?

 What community organizations are potential partners? 

 How does your organization plan to sustain a fire safety education 

program?

Learning About Your Community

Do you want to know how fire statistics for your community compare to 

national data? Are you wondering about the number of schools or types of 

organizations in your community to which you could offer your program? 

Do you want to identify businesses that may be interested in promoting 

1 Adapted from CDC’s Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults: 

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/CDC_Guide-a.pdf

 Gather information 

on your community

 Determine fire 

safety risks

 Write a problem 

statement
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

1-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

1

or supporting your program? These are all questions you can research at 

your local library and on the Internet, and collect a wealth of information 

about your community. The information you collect while researching your 

community will aid in developing your fire safety education program. Start 

your data search using the examples below:

 QuickFacts (quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/): This site, which is maintained 

by the U.S. Census Bureau, provides quick, easy access to facts about 

people, business, and geography. QuickFacts includes data for all states 

and counties and for cities and towns with more than 5,000 people. 

NAT ST LOC

 American FactFinder (factfinder2.census.gov): Also provided by the 

U.S. Census Bureau, American FactFinder is a source for population, 

housing, economic, and geographic data. NAT ST LOC

 CDC WISQARS (www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/): WISQARS is an 

interactive database system that provides customized reports of injuryrelated data, including fatalities from home fires at the state and county 

levels. NAT ST LOC

 National Fire Data Center (www.usfa.fema.gov/data/statistics): This 

website provides statistics on fires that occur in the United States and 

reports that describe the national fire problem. NAT

 National Fire Incident Reporting System: The NFIRS database has 

information about fires in your community. The NFIRS database can 

be used to answer questions about the nature and causes of injuries, 

deaths, monitor trends, and property loss resulting from fires. NAT ST LOC

 Other local community emergency response and injury data may be 

obtained from agencies such as law enforcement, hospitals, burn units, 

health departments, and state fire marshals. LOC

 Local library: Use your local library to find information about local 

government offices, businesses, schools, and professional and service 

organizations. Stop by the library reference desk for help with your search.

LOC

Legend:

NAT National ST State LOC Local
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 1-3

1

Determining Basic Fire Safety Risks in Your Community

An important step in developing a fire safety education program is to identify 

the fire safety risks in your community and the populations that should be 

targeted by the program. Examine at least the last three years of data on the 

causes of home fires and fire-related deaths in your community. The results of 

this analysis will help you identify:

 how many times a specific incident type occurs each year,

 the main risk factors your education program should address,

 current trends in risks,

 the population at risk, and

 information for development of strategies to reach this population.

After you collect data on your community from the links suggested earlier in 

this section, use the Home Fire Risk Checklist from the Resources table at 

the end of this section to highlight risk factors for which your community may 

need additional fire safety education. Keep in mind that your community may 

have risk factors not on this list. 

Preparing a Basic Community Profile 

Once you’ve collected information about your 

community, you can prepare a community profile. 

The Community Profile Worksheet2 will help you 

develop a basic profile of your community that you 

can use when developing or improving your fire 

safety program. The worksheet includes sections for 

recording:

 information about the population 

(demographics),

 fire safety risks you have found, 

 goals of your fire safety education program 

regarding those risks, and

 how the fire safety program will address those risks. 

Please see the Resources table at the end of this section for tools and 

checklists.

2 Adapted from the University of Kansas Community Tool Box (ctb.ku.edu).
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

1-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

1

Writing a Problem Statement

After you have completed your community profile, you can use the information 

collected to develop your problem statement. A problem statement provides 

a fact-based overview of the problem and who it affects. It also provides 

a picture of what your organization proposes to do about the problem and 

provides you with background information for developing partnerships within 

your community, which is outlined in more detail in Section 2. Think about 

the five W’s when writing your problem statement and that will ensure all the 

important information is contained in the overview.

 Who—Who does the problem affect? 

 What—What is the issue? What is the impact of the issue? What will 

happen when it is fixed? What would happen if we didn’t solve the 

problem?

 When—When does the issue occur? When does it need to be fixed?

 Where—Where is the issue occurring? 

 Why—Why is it important that we fix the problem? 

Here is an example of a problem statement developed for Safe City3

.

Sample Problem Statement

Unattended cooking causes 40% of both fires and fire-related injury in our community.

Half of these cooking fires (an average of 20 each year) occur in the homes of older 

adults who reside in city-owned housing units. Interviews with fire victims have found 

that most fires occur because the cooking process has been left unsupervised.

The Safe City Fire Department proposes to develop a community-based campaign to 

address cooking fires among the older adult population living in city-owned housing 

units. This proposal is based on the following factors:

 There is a high occurrence of cooking fires and fire-related injuries at the housing 

complex.

 The community and housing authority are supportive of the older adult 

population.

 There is a realistic possibility that such an intervention will be successful.

 A successful campaign can serve as a model for future city-wide efforts.

3 From U. S. Fire Administration’s Public Fire Education Planning: A Five Step Process: www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-219.pdf
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 1-5

1

Together, the community risk profile and problem statement will provide a 

true-to-life reason of why the selected risk issue should be addressed when 

working with key members of the community. For example:

 Your community profile shows there is a high percentage of homes in 

the community without working smoke alarms. 

 Armed with this information, you decide to enlist the help of a local 

hardware store as a partner that could provide low cost smoke alarms 

as a part of your program. 

The next step of the program development process, Developing Partnerships, 

will explore strategies you can use to gain the support and resources you need 

to get your program off the ground. It will also lead you to figure out which 

prevention activities, specific to your community, can be carried out by these 

partnerships.

“We have to be asking the fundamental question, ‘what’s 

going on here and why, and what can we do about it? 4 ’

”

—Assistant Chief and Fire Marshal

Beyond the Basics

To help you develop a more complete community profile, this section provides 

a more in-depth approach for researching your community and available 

resources. Community resources5

 are people, businesses, physical structures, 

or places that can be used to improve the quality of community life and help 

you develop or improve your fire safety education program. Identifying 

community resources is not very hard and it doesn’t require special training or 

expertise to do the job well. Before you begin, collect the following five sets 

of information: 

1. The size of the community (e.g., an entire town, a neighborhood, a housing 

development, etc.); 

2. The people available to help you identify resources;

3. The amount of time you have for the task (the more time you have, the 

more resources you will be able to uncover);

4 Performance Management in Public Fire Education,“ Firehouse, August 2004

5 Adapted from the University of Kansas Community Tool Box (ctb.ku.edu).
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1-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

1

4. The budget, if any, you have for copying, mailing, and incidental expenses; 

and 

5. Most importantly: How will you use the results. If you don’t know how 

you are going to use your resources or what you want them to do, then 

you’re probably not ready to begin identifying them. Do you want to:

 keep these resources on file, 

 share them with others, or 

 use them for action — if so, what action, and how? 

The following are two basic approaches you can use to identify resources 

in your community. One focuses on groups—specifically, associations, 

organizations, and institutions. The other focuses on individuals. 

Identifying the Resources of Groups 

The main task here is to make a list of all groups (associations, organizations, 

and institutions) that exist in your community. Start by listing all the groups 

and organizations you can think of. Don’t forget community and faith-based 

organizations, which are often a great place to find volunteers who can help 

you to implement your program. 

Sources of information you can use to add to your list include: 

 The Internet—an unlimited amount of information at your fingertips.

 The Yellow Pages—a free, comprehensive, and often excellent source. 

 Town directories—published for your community alone. 

 Lists of businesses—usually available from the Chamber of Commerce. 

 Published lists of organizations—check your library or town hall. 

 Lists of organizations not generally published—for example, your 

local newspaper may have its own unpublished list that it could make 

available to you. 

 Local newspapers—perhaps the single best current source in print; plus 

other print sources such as local newsletters, and regional papers. 

 Bulletin boards—physical bulletin boards, and community-calendar 

listings on local cable television. 

 Friends and colleagues—may know about other lists available or they 

may know of additional groups, organizations, and community assets. 

Don’t overlook the importance of networking with your community partners 

and those running similar programs in your state or local area to find 
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 1-7

1

foundation sources that might not even be included in foundation databases. 

Local businesses or chain stores may provide modest funding for programs 

related to their business.

 Insurance companies may want to associate their name with a fire safety 

program.

 Home centers that sell fire extinguishers and smoke alarms may be 

motivated to provide “in kind” donations to support a program that 

provides fire protective equipment to low-income households or the 

elderly.

 Major corporations with facilities in your area are also a potential source 

of funding. Many are committed to being “good neighbors” and provide 

support for worthy community causes.

The amount of monetary support you can obtain in this way may be small, 

but building relations with businesses in the community can also help in 

promoting your program and recruiting volunteers to keep it growing. Use 

the information on developing partnerships found in Step 2 and the marketing 

materials found in Step 5 to help you solicit funding from community 

organizations. Using your organized and detailed program plan, along 

with the partnerships you have developed will help you reach out to your 

community. Section 6 of the toolkit will guide you through the process of 

applying for grants from federal agencies.

Identifying the Resources of Individuals 

Another approach to identifying community resources is to identify and 

compile the abilities and talents of individuals. This can be challenging, 

because there are many more people than groups and we often don’t 

know people’s abilities and talents unless we ask them. For these reasons, 

identifying individuals often takes place over a smaller community area—a 

neighborhood, for example, or some other place where the task is more 

manageable. A good first step may be to identify influential community 

members who regularly communicate with large numbers of people, such as 

local government officials and clergy with large congregations. 

Here’s how to identify individuals who may be an asset to your program: 

 Collect the five starting sets of information previously given, just as for 

identifying the resources of groups. 

 Decide what geographic area you want to cover. 

 Decide how many people you are going to ask within that area: 

Everyone? A certain fixed percentage? As many as you can find? 
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1-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

1

 Draft some questions that will get you the information you need; for 

example, the skills or interests of the individuals you contact. 

 Design a method for gathering this information. Ask questions like: 

•	 Will you mail out a survey? 

•	 Will you have a survey available to pick up? 

•	 Will you go door-to-door? 

•	 Will you call people on the phone? 

•	 Will you schedule interviews? 

•	 Will you meet people in groups?

•	 Who might be interested in participating? 

 Try out your questions on a sample group and, based on their answers 

and suggestions, make revisions.

 Collect your information.

These are thumbnail images of two tools that 

you may find useful for identifying resources 

in your community. The first is a Preliminary 

Inventory of Community Resources 

Organized by Sector. The second is a 

Questionnaire for Collecting Information

about community resources. You can find 

these tools in the Resources table at the end of 

this section.

You can use this assessment data to gain 

support and resources from key stakeholders 

within your community. The more detailed 

the information you are able to collect at this 

stage, the more prepared you will be in the 

next step of the program development process, 

Developing Partnerships. 
ASSESS YOUR COMMUNITY

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 1-9

1

More Information

Other resources that you can use to learn more about developing a profile of 

your community include:

 Public Fire Education Planning: A Five Step Process. U.S. Fire 

Administration (FA-219), June 2008 available at https://apps.usfa.fema.

gov/publications

 The Community Tool Box available at http://ctb.ku.edu. See Chapter 

3 at ctb.ku.edu/en/tablecontents/chapter_1003.htm for information on 

assessing community needs and resources.

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

1–11 Home Fire Risk Factors Checklist Inventory of fire risk factors to assist in 

determining specific fire risks on your 

community. 

1–13 Community Profile Worksheet Planning tool to assist in collecting overall 

information about your community.

1–15 Preliminary Inventory of Community 

Resources Organized by Sector

This tool helps to focus your planning 

efforts by accessing available resources.

1–17 Questionnaire for Collecting 

Community Resource Information

Two-page list of questions to assist in data 

collection for assessing resources available.

Online A Guide for Fire Prevention 

Advocacy

This online guide provides information 

and tools developed to encourage a 

balanced approach to reduce the social 

and economic impact of fire losses.

www.strategicfire.org/advocacytoolkit/

Online Integrated Risk Management: A Fire 

Service Context

A six-step process to help fire safety 

educators focus their assessment of risks 

within their community. 

www.strategicfire.org
Page intentionally left blank
1-11

Home Fire Risk Factors Checklist
Home Fire Risk Factors Checklist

Personal Characteristics

q Age: under 5; over 65

q Developmental maturity

q Disability

q Sex: male

q Alcohol and other drug 

impairment

q Race & ethnicity: minority 

population

Causes

q Smoking

q Intentional

q Heating equipment/products

q Cooking

q Open flame (e.g., candles)

q Electrical distribution equipment

q Child play (e.g., matches, lighters)

Human Behaviors in Fire

q Activity when fire occurred (e.g., 

sleeping)

q Attempting to fight fire

q Attempting to rescue someone

q Attempting to escape

q Egress problems/fire blocked exit

q Vision blocked/impaired by 

smoke

q Irrational action

q Returning to vicinity of fire (both 

before and after control of fire)

Fire Situation Factors

q Area of origin (e.g., kitchen)

q Location at ignition (risk factor is 

outside origin of fire)

Home Environmental Factors

q Absence of smoke alarms

q Lack of working smoke alarms

q Lack of home fire sprinklers

q Housing stock (e.g., 

manufactured)

q Ignition-resistant household 

materials (e.g., mattress, furniture)

Socio-ecological Factors

q Poverty

q Educational attainment

q Rurality

Other Factors

q Seasonality/time of year (winter 

months)

q Hour of day (morning vs. 

evening)
1-13

Community Profile Worksheet
Community Profile Worksheet6

Understanding Your Community Worksheet Date: ____________

Name of the community fire safety program:___________________________________

What is the layout for this community? ________________________________________

Where are your fire stations? _________________________________________________

Total community’s population: _______________________________________________

Demographic Information:

Fill out blanks using approximate percentages.

Residents Group 

Members

Group Leaders

White

Black or African American

American Indian and Alaska Native

Asian

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

Other

Hispanic or Latino

Male

Female

Low Income

Moderate Income

Upper Income

Issues, Goals, and Strategies: 

Describe the three most important fire safety risk areas that need to be addressed. 

For each area, list the primary goal and the strategy that is being used or will be used 

to address it. 

1. Issue: __________________________________________________________________

Primary goal:____________________________________________________________

Strategy: ________________________________________________________________

2. Issue: __________________________________________________________________

Primary goal:____________________________________________________________

Strategy: ________________________________________________________________

3. Issue: __________________________________________________________________

Primary goal:____________________________________________________________

Strategy: ________________________________________________________________

6 Adapted from the University of Kansas Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu).
1-15

Preliminary Inventory of Community 

Resources Organized by Sector
Preliminary Inventory of Community Resources 

Organized by Sector

Grassroots or Citizens’ Associations 

q All local neighborhood organizations q Older adults’ groups

q Community centers q Local officials, politicians, and leaders

Institutions 

q Local public schools, universities, and 

community colleges 

q Municipal libraries

q Public hospitals or clinics q Police officers and other emergency 

personnel

q Publicly funded or private educational 

institutions 

q Parks and municipal pools or golf 

courses

q State or federal agencies

Community-based Organizations 

q Housing organizations q Churches

q Food kitchens and emergency housing 

shelters 

q Clinics and counseling centers

q Halfway houses, substance abuse homes, 

domestic violence shelters 

q Advocacy groups for environment, 

safety, drug abuse reduction, et cetera

Private Sector 

q Banks q Businesspersons’ associations

q Chamber of commerce q Local businesses

Labeled Populations 

q Senior citizens q Those receiving public assistance, food 

stamps, Medicaid, or Medicare

q Local musicians and artists q Youth

q Immigrant populations q College students
1-17

Questionnaire for Collecting Community 

Resource Information
Questionnaire for Collecting Community 

Resource Information

Name: ____________________________________________________________________

Occupation: _______________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

Telephone Number: ________________________________________________________

Name of Organization: ______________________________________________________

Description: _______________________________________________________________

Resources: 

1. How many people are a part of your organization? 

 Staff 

 Volunteers 

 Members or contributors 

 Board members 

 Clients 

2. How often do your members gather? Do you gather outside of regular meetings? 

3. What kind of funding does your organization have? Where else do you get 

support? 

4. Where does your organization meet? What other spaces does your organization 

have access to? 

5. What kind of equipment does your organization have access to? 

 Office? 

 Computer? 

 Audio-visual or video? 

 Computers? 

 Mechanical? 

 Other? 

6. What kind of written media materials/newsletters does your organization have? 

7. How does your organization keep its members up to date on activities and staff 

changes? 

8. Which of your organization’s resources would you be willing to make accessible 

to other community members? 
9. What kinds of services does your organization provide to the community? How 

do you make these services known to the public? What kinds of projects is your 

organization involved in now? What has your organization accomplished thus far? 

10. How many of your staff members live in the community served by your 

organization? 

11. Where do you purchase your supplies and equipment, go for repair services, etc.? 

12. What are your organization’s most valuable resources and strongest assets? 

13. What other organizations do you work with, personally? What other organizations 

does your group sponsor events with? Share information with? Share resources or 

equipment with? 

14. Who else does work or provides similar services to the community as those 

provided by your organization? 

15. Does your group belong to any other associations? What kinds of special events 

does your organization take part in? 

16. What kind of association or relationship does your organization have with local 

businesses and banks? 

17. What other groups or sub-populations does your organization support or 

advocate for? 

18. What kind of new projects would your organization be interested in taking on, 

directly related to your mission? Indirectly or outside of your mission? 

19. What other projects or movements are you involved in that serve youth, the 

elderly, people with disabilities, people receiving public assistance, immigrant or 

minority populations? 

20. How feasible is it for your organization to get involved in more projects, more 

community development/health promotion efforts? 

21. What kind of changes would you like to see in the community in the next five 

years? How would you effect these changes? 
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-1

How to Develop Partnerships1

In the first step, you collected information about 

the specific fire risks in your community, identified 

main areas to focus on, and researched community 

resources. Now you can enlist key members of 

your community to help with your efforts. Step 

2 involves partnering with individuals, schools, 

organizations, or businesses to support your 

program to create a safer community. 

Programs that include partnerships with fire departments have been found 

to be successful at preventing fires and deaths by increasing the number of 

households with functional smoke alarms and improving children’s fire safety 

knowledge. A lot of partnerships can be developed between the fire service 

and individual partners, but to truly address a community wide problem, it 

makes sense to have a group of partners at times. This section of the toolkit 

will help you get started.

Getting Started

1. Take inventory of your current resources for the program. 

 Time  Technology

 Staff  Funding

 Equipment

2. Identify and collaborate with potential partners and stakeholders. 

A potential partner is a person, group, or organization willing to 

collaborate and assist a community with a problem. Key questions to ask 

when determining which people to recruit include: 

 Who are the movers and shakers in the community who will help jump 

start the program?

 Who can offer leadership, skills, credibility, contacts, influence, and 

resources?

1 Adapted from CDC’s Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults: 

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/CDC_Guide-a.pdf

 Research best 

practices 

 Identify potential 

partners

 Create a community 

group
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2-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Potential community partners include:

 Groups that already address a similar issue.

 Community service and advocacy groups.

 People/groups who feel the financial impact of the risk issue (insurance 

companies, property owners, American Red Cross disaster services).

 Groups that can help deliver messages (media, churches, schools, 

marketing organizations).

 Groups that provide services to the population affected by the risk 

issue.

 Community members with a vested interest in fire safety.

3. Develop your “pitch” for partnership. Develop selling points (e.g., 

cost-effective, promotes goodwill) that you can use when you try to recruit 

members to support your program.

4. Emphasize fire safety messages and supporting materials. Develop 

fire safety message points—short statements that reflect your messages. 

Tailor messages and materials to your community to interest potential 

partners in supporting your program. 

Messages for Collaboration with a Senior Center

Your community could benefit from lower rates of home fires and fire-related injuries 

among older adults. Specifically, our fire safety program will:

 Educate your community about common fire safety risks, such as cooking and use of 

candles.

 Provide prepackaged educational programming for your center that addresses the 

health, well-being, and quality of life of older adults. 

 Provide members with knowledge they can use to reduce their risk of fire and firerelated injury. 

5. Make personal contact. Include another person during contacts if you 

can, but remember to deliver the same message about the program to 

avoid confusion or mixed messages.

6. Seal the deal. Put your passion about fire safety into what you say to 

potential partners—tell them how they and the community will benefit 

from your program. Try to end with a verbal or formal agreement and 

tentatively plan your next meeting date.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-3

2

Please see the Resources table at the end of 

this section for an Invitation Letter Template

and Sample Letter of Invitation.

Understanding Best Practices for 

Partnership Development2

Best practices are tried and true techniques 

and strategies with demonstrated outcomes 

that can be easily adopted by others. These 

strategies will increase the likelihood of your 

program’s success. Partnership development 

requires responsibility and 100% commitment 

to the project by everyone involved. When 

a good partnership is developed, it can provide a 

realistic and effective tool for achieving your program goals. In order to apply 

best practices to your program, take a look at the following facts:

A best practice is:

 Sustainable. The program can continue to run when the initial funding source 

runs out.

 Applicable. Can be applied in many different settings and achieve results.

 Adaptable. Other people can use the ideas/model even if they are not in the same 

circumstances.

 Innovative. The practice is unique, but not so unique that it cannot be used by 

others. It has the right mix of players and brings new concepts to the table without 

being “beyond reality.” The partnership has balance.

Steps for best practices in partnerships include:

 Conduct an internal analysis: What is it that our group wants to do? 

Who else has a stake in this or shares the same vision? Who can help 

get us where we want to be?

 Conduct a community assessment: What does the community 

care about? What is important to the community? This may require 

education of potential partners.

 Brainstorm: Get a group together to do a SWAT (Strengths, 

Weaknesses, Alternatives, and Tasks) analysis or similar type of activity.

2 From the National Council on the Aging: www.ncoa.org
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2-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

 Bring in nontraditional partners—they may contribute resources or 

pool funds for a project.

 Share ownership of the development of the partnership and its 

accomplishments.

Key benefits of partnering include:

 Accomplishing tasks that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.

 Complementing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

 Pooling of resources such as money, talent, and time.

“It is important to create a bridge with people who 

understand the audience and those educating.”

—Developmental Disabilities Expert

Effective partnerships can be defined in many ways. Partners who are 

willing to provide financial resources, staffing or in-kind support clearly have 

an interest in the project. Specific goals and objectives with measurable 

outcomes allow partners to determine their overall effectiveness throughout 

the process. Planning your relationship from the start will allow you to agree 

on the pooling of resources, task and objective timelines, process evaluation 

measures, and an overall evaluation plan. 

Elements of a good partnership may include:

 Strong leaders who can get other people and potential partners 

interested in a project before anything has really been set. 

 Partners with long-established relationships within the community. 

 Creative models that emerge from the community. 

 A good balance of give and take in the relationship. 

 Taking all views and cultures into consideration. 

 Timely communication via email and the Internet to rapidly establish 

interpersonal relationships, which are central to partnership-building. 
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-5

2

Finding Potential Partners

Engage as many members of the community as you can, including:

 schools (kindergarten through college);

 churches, synagogues, mosques, and temples;

 non-profit organizations, such as the Red Cross and The Salvation Army;

 public service organizations, such as the Lions Club and the Rotary 

Club;

 worksites—large employers or your local Chamber of Commerce;

 key players such as local politicians and community leaders;

 youth organizations such as the Boy 

Scouts, Girl Scouts, and local sports 

organizations; 

 senior centers; and

 libraries.

Tips for Working with Partners

 Remember that no one is perfect. Every group has its challenges.

 Try to avoid power players who always think that they are in charge. 

Strive for give-and-take relationships among equals.

 Look for a healthy cross-section of skills and networks.

 Assess strengths and weaknesses of partners; accept or adjust 

accordingly.

 Hone your communication skills. They’re key 

to maintaining efficient, effective partnerships.

 Share credit for partnership success. 

Please see the Resources table at the end of this 

section for a Sample Thank You Letter to Partner.

It is important to identify a group 

of partners who have a stake in 

the success of the risk 

reduction program. 
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2-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Never forget the power of the words “thank you.” Acknowledge partnership 

agreements promptly. Look for creative ways to convey your gratitude. Thank 

partners publicly and often.

How to Maintain Partnerships3

Professional partnerships, like all relationships, need ongoing care and 

attention. As your program grows and changes, so will the terms of your 

various partnerships. You will need to continually review and adjust to the 

evolving needs and expectations of your partners. 

Being open minded and maintaining two-way communication with your 

partners will help keep them interested and vested in the project and 

outcomes. In addition, be sure to send thank-you notes to program partners, 

and make sure they receive evaluation data. Good working relationships will 

likely increase your partners’ interest in and commitment to your program. 

Beyond the Basics

Guidelines for Partner Meetings4

Maintain communication in your relationships, meeting regularly with partners 

to make sure you are all on task. Working with partners and community 

groups requires you to be organized and have the ability to set up and run 

effective meetings. The ability to conduct effective meetings is key to using 

your partners productively. This section provides guidance for planning and 

running effective meetings. 

Effective meetings:

 Are organized in such a way that decisions can be made and action 

items can be addressed. 

 Have an end result.

 Do not drag on or go off topic.

 Provide “buy-in” and confidence among your community partners. 

 Demonstrate that you have a plan and are organized to meet your 

program objectives.

 Develop tasks, solve problems, and build a sense of community. 

3 Adapted from CDC’s Preventing Falls: How to Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults: 

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/CDC_Guide-a.pdf

4 From The Community Tool Box: ctb.ku.edu/
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-7

2

To run an effective meeting:

 Be responsible for the well-being of the group and the members in it. 

 Oversee “group dynamics” and other process issues to ensure the group 

stays on task and on schedule. 

When someone says, “Nice job. That was a good meeting, ” what do they 

really mean? A truly good meeting happens when attention is paid to the four 

phases of meeting management: planning, logistics, facilitation, and follow-up.

Planning: 

Agenda and 

Goals

Meeting 

Logistics

Facilitating 

the Meeting

Meeting 

Follow-up

Running Your Meeting

Phase I: Planning—Agenda and Goals

Here are the critical steps in planning a great meeting.

1. Decide the goal of the meeting.

Is it to revise the by-laws, plan 

volunteer recruitment, or something 

else? Come up with a clear goal and 

the agenda becomes your road map to 

reaching it.

2. Do your homework.

Ensure that all research and essential information is collected before the 

meeting begins. 

3. Decide who needs to be there.

Think before you send out meeting notices. If you are working on a 

billboard campaign, does the whole membership need to attend or just the 

Billboard Committee? Could you achieve your goal with a conference call 

instead of a face-to-face meeting? Include only essential personnel on the 

invitation list and encourage other members to attend as a courtesy if time 

allows.

Running meetings is a SKILL, 

not something you are born 

knowing how to do. Just as 

with any skill, you will get 

better with practice.
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2-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4. Plan with others.

This is a great way to develop new leaders AND get other people more 

invested in the work of your group. Three or four members can develop 

the agenda in a simple brainstorming session.

5. Good agendas count.

List the amount of time you plan for each item. If someone other than you 

is presenting some part of the agenda, list that too, and send the agenda 

out at least a week ahead of time to allow members to prepare for the 

meeting. See the Agenda Template in the Resources table at the end of 

the section.

Template: Agenda for community meetings

Meeting: Distribution:

Facilitator: Location:

Date/Time: Recorder: Timekeeper:

Item #

Start 

Time Duration Description

Desired 

Result

Person 

Responsible

1 8:00a 0:00 Call to order

2 8:00a 0:05 Review and approval of agenda

Revise & 

Adopt

3 8:05a 0:05

Approval of previous meeting 

minutes Vote

4 Next meeting

5 Adjournment

Phase II: Meeting Logistics

1. Start and end on time.

It’s disrespectful to abuse members’ time and will create a negative 

impression. Start the meeting on time every time. Word will get around 

and eventually, people will come on time or won’t come at all. If people 

keep showing up late, or not showing up at all, this may be an indication 

the meeting day or time needs to be altered.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-9

2

2. Sign them in.

Sign-in sheets help update your membership list and provide current 

contact information. Be sure to include name, organization, address, 

email, and phone number.

3. “Pardon me, could you move your elbow?”

Meeting spaces should be comfortable and convenient. The space should 

be centrally located, and the right size for the size of your group. Get 

there early to set up and try to use a space where you can make a circle, 

not sit in rows like an auditorium. If the meeting space is hard to get 

to for older adults or others, try to arrange transportation or perhaps 

volunteer drivers (a great teen/older adult project).

4. All work and no play is no good.

Time permitting, include informal time before and/or after the meeting 

for people to talk and socialize. Networking is a main reason people may 

have joined your group in the first place, and it’s where you can recruit 

volunteers. Remember, sometimes “the meeting after the meeting” is 

where people get attached to the group—and also get their best ideas to 

bring to the next meeting.

5. A regular cycle.

If you have a regular meeting cycle, people will start to save the date (e.g., 

the first Monday of the month); but don’t have a meeting just to meet. 

Always have a clear goal or cancel the meeting for that session.

Phase III: Facilitation

Being a meeting facilitator is more than one task; it’s many jobs in one. If you 

take it from the top, your job as a facilitator means it is up to you to:

1. Do introductions.

That includes getting everyone to introduce themselves, as well as 

introducing yourself and briefly describing your role. When there’s a 

special speaker, his or her introduction is your job, too.

Don’t forget how good icebreakers can be to loosen everyone up. An 

icebreaker is something short at the beginning of the meeting to help 

people get to know each other or dig out some important piece of 

information in a fun or interesting way. For example, your group could do 

a “Scavenger Hunt” where people “scavenge” information about each other.
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2-10 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

2. Get agreement on agenda and rules.

Remember, it’s everyone’s meeting, so everyone needs to “buy in” to the 

agenda. You can ask for feedback on the agenda before you begin. Rules 

like no interrupting, etc. can also be helpful if you have some potential 

“disrupters” in the house.

3. Keep the discussion on track.

If someone’s going off the agenda or is speaking too long, respectfully 

guide them back to the topic. Be gentle but firm: people respect a 

meeting that’s run well and remember all too clearly the meetings where 

someone was allowed to go on and on and on.

4. Watch the time.

Honor agenda time limits. If the group seems to want to go beyond the 

agreed upon time on an issue, ask for agreement from all members. A 

statement such as, “We’ve already used our allotted time for this issue. 

Would everyone like to continue on the topic for another ten minutes, or 

shall we go on to the next item on the agenda?” can be a good way to take 

the group’s pulse on the matter. Another suggestion is to build “parking 

lot” time into you meeting agenda where you can allow additional 

discussion and revisit topics that may have run over at the conclusion of 

the meeting.

5. Summarize what you hear.

Wrap-up each agenda item by summarizing any conclusions out loud. 

Move on when no one objects or everyone agrees.

6. Encourage participation.

If a usually quiet person speaks, show your appreciation. Try to draw 

everyone in and not just let the usual suspects speak.

7. Use the power of your position wisely.

Watch what you say and how much you say. Don’t take sides, and be fair 

to everyone.

8. Develop new leaders by handing over the gavel.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-11

2

Try rotating responsibility. The only way others will learn is by watching 

you and then doing.

Some tips for managing people in the meeting:

 Have a sense of humor, and don’t be defensive.

 Use open-ended questions that require people to say more than “yes” or 

“no.”

 Watch your audience for signs that you should slow things down or 

speed them up.

Phase IV: Meeting Follow Up

In order for you to successfully follow up after the meeting, you will need to:

1. Gather feedback from the group.

You will want to gather information about how the participants felt about 

the meeting, what could be improved, etc. You may not want to do this 

at every meeting; do it once in a while. Make sure that people have clear 

assignments, set or reaffirm the date for the next meeting, and, most 

importantly, maximize opportunities for people to stay around and talk 

after the meeting. 

2. Make follow-up calls.

The facilitator or a designated person may want to make follow-up calls, 

send out follow-up correspondence, and/or take some follow-up actions. 

These after-the-meeting activities often serve as the glue that holds the 

group together.

3. Summarize the meeting.

 It’s helpful to have a list of the decisions made, with follow-ups. Formal 

minutes are valuable for many (not all) organizations—they contain 

announcements, informational items, etc., that are important to report 

even though they are not “decisions.”

 Writing up minutes can be boring, and so can reading them. But that’s 

part of the job the secretary took on. Some alternatives can include:

•	 Have a volunteer do a Meeting Summary Sheet, in addition to the 

minutes. This document can assist you with showing investors and 

“higher-ups” what decisions were made during a meeting and next 

steps. Please see the Resources table at the end of the section.

•	 Have the minutes read more like a story than a formal Roman-
2

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2-12 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

numerals-type report. Also, place the 

decisions made in boldface or ALL CAPS, so 

they stand out. 

Organized meetings are productive meetings that 

lead to specific outcomes. In order to get started 

on the planning process for your program, you must 

have a solid foundation to work from with your 

group of partners. Once you have your partners 

on board, you can move on to the next step in the 

process, Organizing and Planning Your Program for 

Implementation, which is detailed in the next section. 

More Information

Other resources that you can use to learn more about developing partnerships 

in your community include:

 The Community Tool Box, Creating and Maintaining Coalitions and 

Partnerships: 

http://ctb.ku.edu/en/dothework/ 

 U.S. Fire Administration, Public Fire Education Planning: A Five Step 

Process: https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Preventing Falls: How to 

Develop Community-based Fall Prevention Programs for Older Adults: 

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/images/CDC_Guide-a.pdf
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 2-13

2

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

2–15 Template Invitation Letter to 

Participate in Meeting Planning

Template that can be adapted for use with 

meeting planning.

2–17 Sample Letter of Invitation to 

Participate in a Partner Meeting

Sample letter for partner meeting 

recruitment.

2–19 Sample Thank You Letter To Partner Sample letter that demonstrates how to 

thank a partner who has assisted with your 

program.

2–21 Agenda for Community Meetings Template that can be adapted for use with 

your meeting.

2–23 Meeting Summary Sheet A document that can be used to generate 

notes and action items quickly for a 

meeting.
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2-15

Template Invitation Letter to Participate in 

Meeting Planning
Template Invitation Letter to Participate in Meeting 

Planning

[LETTERHEAD]

[DATE]

Dear [COMMUNITY LEADER],

We are writing to invite you to participate in a long range planning session we are 

conducting on [DATE], from [START TIME] to [END TIME], at the [LOCATION]. Your 

input will help us identify and prioritize key goals for fire safety education and 

prevention in our community. We will be gathering input from many community 

members focused around the following mission: 

“To save lives through education, advocacy, and shared resources and to establish 

the Coalition as the premier community organization in the areas of fire prevention 

and safety education.”

Like any organization, our future success relies on establishing a clear vision, 

identifying effective strategies to reach our goals, and teamwork to accomplish the 

initiatives. Additional materials, outlining the current status of fire safety education 

and prevention in [TOWN] and best practices for fire safety education, are included 

with this letter. Please take a few moments to review the materials, record your 

thoughts, and return the sheets to us by [DATE]. These materials will be collated and 

built upon at the planning sessions.

We understand that our community leaders are very busy. In the event that 

your schedule does not permit you to personally attend, we ask that you please 

recommend an alternate contact. Please contact [CONTACT NAME] at [PHONE/

EMAIL] with any questions or concerns you have about this process. Thank you 

for your assistance in ensuring that our efforts support the wishes of our greater 

community.

Sincerely,

Chief John Smith

Mytown Fire Department
2-17

Sample Letter of Invitation to Participate in 

a Partner Meeting
Sample Letter of Invitation to Participate in a 

Partner Meeting

Date

Dr. Maria Jones

Hilltop Elementary School

1123 First Street

Mytown, Pennsylvania 34689

Dear Dr. Jones:

Fire safety education in Mytown, Pennsylvania has become increasingly difficult 

due to the challenges of an ever changing and very full curriculum the schools are 

required to teach. However, given recent events with lives that were nearly lost in 

home fires in our community, I am empowering a coalition of committed individuals 

to work with me and the other members to increase fire safety education programs in 

our community.

I am requesting your participation in this partner meeting to address this important 

task. Your professional knowledge, insight into the behaviors your students engage 

in and your expressed commitment to protecting youth from the dangers of fire are 

the reasons we are asking you to participate. 

Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month, in Trent Hall, Room 103 for 

one hour starting at 7:00 in the evening. We are aware that your schedule at the 

school may preclude you from participating in every meeting but hope that you 

can work together with us on this important issue. The first meeting will be on 

September 7th – please contact me at 458-234-9260 if you have any questions and to 

indicate your willingness to participate.

Sincerely,

Chief John Smith

Mytown Fire Department
2-19

Sample Thank You Letter to Partner
Sample Thank You Letter to Partner

Date

Mr. John Smith

President

City Insurance Company

City, State 12345

Dear Mr. Smith:

City Fire Department is pleased to report on the successful implementation of the 

Fire Safety Program, sponsored by the City Insurance Company. Because of your 

valuable assistance to me in promoting the program, and your generous contribution 

during its start-up, you have made fire safety education available to 125 1st Grade 

students in our community. Thank you.

Thanks to your funding, we have been able to purchase a computer system with a 

large monitor to provide children with interactive videos about fire safety in addition 

to our fire safety lessons. The children report that they enjoy the addition of the 

videos, and teachers report an increase in correct responses and behaviors on the 

follow-up fire safety surveys.

The members of our fire department would like to thank you personally in a small 

ceremony, presenting you with a City Fire Department Community Partnership 

Award. We will be in touch to confirm a date that would be convenient for you.

Thank you again for personally providing your valuable time and energy to promote 

the City Fire Safety Program in our community, and for your generous financial gift!

Sincerely,
2-21

Agenda for Community Meetings
Agenda for Community Meetings

Meeting: Distribution:

Facilitator: Location:

Date/Time: Recorder:

Item 

#

Start 

Time Duration Description Desired Result

Person 

Responsible

8:00am 0:00 Call to order

8:00am 0:05 Review and approval of agenda Revise & 

Adopt

8:05am 0:05 Approval of previous meeting minutes Vote

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27
2-23

Meeting Summary Sheet
Meeting Summary Sheet

I. Basic Information 

 Meeting of _____________________________________________________________

 Date and Time _________________________________________________________

 Place __________________________________________________________________

 Persons Presiding_______________________________________________________

 Persons Present ________________________________________________________

II. Decisions Made 

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

III. Follow-Up Responsibilities (who will do what by when) 

PERSON TASK DUE

IV. Incomplete Items (Next Steps) 

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________

Summary Prepared by_______________________________________________________

Date Prepared______________________________________________________________
PLAN AND IMPLEMENT

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 3-1

3

The first two steps in the program planning process 

involved assessing your community and developing 

partnerships. In the third step, you will begin 

planning a fire safety education program that 

addresses your community’s needs. 

This section of the fire safety toolkit includes 

information and materials that will guide you through 

the planning process. It also provides you with 

several tools to assist in the implementation of your 

fire safety program in your community. The CDC and 

USFA companion document titled Fire Safety Trailer 

Curriculum has additional resources that can be adapted for your program 

needs.

Getting Ready to Plan and Implement an Effective 

Program1

It is understandable to want to “just get 

something implemented” when faced 

with public pressure to immediately 

address preventable injuries, property 

damage, and fire-related deaths. 

However, planning is necessary to make 

sure presentations or programs address 

the community’s most pressing fire safety risks. 

A “ready, fire, aim” approach will not hit the target of lowering injury, damage, 

and death. It can give the impression that the fire department is out there 

educating the public, but may achieve little else. Successfully reducing fires 

and preventable injuries involves effective planning. Fire service leaders and 

public educators responsible for programs can use educational approaches, 

methods, and processes that may encourage success such as:

 Focus on prevention, which is a cost-effective risk reduction tool. 

 Stay up-to-date on safety technology. Staying up to date on new 

options available for home safety, as well as technology to aid you in 

the delivery of your programs, will help you deliver fire safety messages 

most effectively.

1 Adapted from U. S. Fire Administration’s Public Fire Education Planning: A Five Step Process:

www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/publications/fa-219.pdf

Successfully reducing fires and 

preventable injuries involves 

effective planning. 

 Develop purpose, 

goals & objectives

 Create an action 

plan

 Assemble program 

materials
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 Increase training for emergency services personnel. Firefighters 

and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) are routinely delivering 

public education presentations and assisting with public education 

activities. 

Change the way you think about the causes of fire and injuries.

 The term “accident” has been used for years to describe the cause of 

fires and injuries. By definition, an accident is an uncontrolled event—

something that cannot be predicted or prevented. However, many firerelated injuries are not considered to be accidents. For example:

•	 Matches left within the reach of a young child may result in a fire 

that could have been prevented. Predict the natural curiosity of a 

child and place the matches up and away.

•	 A home without a working smoke alarm may result in fire fatalities. 

Prevent fatalities by installing a working smoke alarm and providing 

education on home escape plans.

Program Planning

Designing Your Program

Before you plan for the road ahead with your program, it’s important to 

determine the purpose of your program, 

and then to develop goals and objectives 

that can be measured. When you plan 

your program, you will need to remember 

the following five statements to help 

shape its design: 

1. Identify the program goal/purpose. Once you have gathered 

information about your community and determined its fire safety needs, 

you are ready to write your purpose statement. Write your purpose 

statement based on what you now know about your community and its 

greatest needs. 

 The purpose of your program may be “To reduce fire injuries and 

fatalities in low-income neighborhoods.” 

2. Identify the expected outcomes of the program. Describe 

measurable outcomes such as a change in knowledge, attitudes, or 

behaviors. 

Logic models are helpful in 

planning your program. 

See Section 5 Evaluate.
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 Outcomes for your program to reduce fire injuries and fatalities in 

low-income neighborhoods could include the number of homes with 

working smoke alarms installed as a result of your program.

3. Identify activities for your program. Describe program activities that 

will assist you in reaching your program goals and reducing fire risks 

related to those factors. 

 To reach your goal of reduced fire injuries and fatalities, activities could 

include a free smoke alarm installation program for your community. 

4. Identify outputs from your program. Describe measurable materials 

produced and services delivered. 

 Once underway, the smoke alarm installation program in the previous 

example would produce an increased number of community members 

with working smoke alarms.

5. Identify inputs to run your program. Describe resources needed to 

support activities. 

 In order to run your smoke alarm installation program above, you will 

need volunteers to provide the service, tools for installation, and smoke 

alarms to install.

Writing Your Program’s Goals and Objectives

Goals. Your goals should be measurable. So if the purpose of your program 

is “To reduce fire injuries and fatalities in my community among elementary 

school children,” one of your goals may be “To increase fire safety knowledge 

scores among elementary school children.” 

The following are components of an effective goal—one that describes 

performance standards that will “tell us what success looks like.” The SMART 

acronym can help us remember these components:
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S pecific The goal should identify exactly what 

you will accomplish.

M easurable The goal and its benefits should be 

quantifiable.

A chievable The goal should be attainable given 

available resources.

R ealistic The goal should allow the likelihood 

of success.

T ime-based The goal should state the time period 

in which it will be accomplished.

To [change] the [knowledge, attitudes, behavior] among [target audience] from 

[starting number] to [desired number] by [date range].

Objectives. Objectives are the specific ways you will measure your goals. 

Think of a goal as a destination and the objectives as ways or methods of 

getting you to your goal. Using the example above, the goal “To increase 

fire safety knowledge scores among elementary school children” could have 

an objective such as “Children’s fire safety knowledge will increase upon 

completion of this program, as measured by pre-test/post-test data.” 

The SMART Goal Setting worksheet found in the Resources table at the 

end of this section, will assist you with writing goals and objectives for your 

program. 

Using Best Practices

Recognizing and following the most successful approaches used by other 

fire safety programs is an important aspect of the program planning process. 

The following are best practices that you should consider when developing a 

written plan for your fire safety program:

1. Develop a Program Name and Summary. The summary is a brief 

description of the components of your program or strategy that includes a 

thumbnail sketch of the program’s goals and activities, as well as a simple 

statement about HOW the program is expected to have a positive impact. 
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PLAN AND IMPLEMENT

If you are using a best practice or evidence-based program, this summary 

might be found in the program’s materials. If you are using a program of 

your own design, you will need to write one. 

2. Identify Program Components or Major Types of Activities. 

Programs are made up of specific parts or program activities. In program 

planning, each part is linked to one or more objectives. For example, the 

parts of a parenting program might include parenting classes, home visits, 

and community meetings. 

 In choosing how specific you will be in identifying program parts, think 

about what will be useful to monitor throughout the implementation 

of your program. You do not need to identify every single detail of 

running the program (e.g., copying worksheets). Think about choosing 

specific parts in terms of how they might inform the evaluation process. 

 If you are building a new program, you may want to make sure that it 

is consistent with the principles of effective prevention. Therefore, even 

though your program may not be “evidence-based,” if you follow these 

general guidelines it will ensure that your program is in line with what 

is known to be effective. A review of the prevention literature across 

a number of domains (Nation et al., 2003) showed that all effective 

programs:

•	 are comprehensive or multi-part interventions;

•	 use varied teaching methods that build awareness of problems and 

build skills;

•	 are of sufficient length and frequency (“dosage”) to be able to get the 

desired effects and follow-up needed;

•	 are theory driven or have a logical basis that is supported by 

research;

•	 promote positive relationships with both peers and adults;

•	 are appropriately timed and “age-appropriate”;

•	 are tailored to the community and cultural norms of the participants;

•	 use outcome evaluation to assess well-specified goals and objectives, 

and;

•	 use well-trained staff.

Once you have examined these principles, choose the ones that apply to each 

of the parts of your program. The more principles that can be applied to your 

program, the more likely you are to get the outcomes you want.3

3 Adapted from Getting To Outcomes 2004: Promoting Accountability Through Methods and Tools for Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. 

RAND Corporation, 2004.
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Existing Fire Safety Programs and Activities

Programs and activities described in the Resource Matrix section of this 

toolkit include some well-established programs, as well as programs that have 

recently been evaluated and published in scientific journals. Use those links 

and resources as tools to guide you when developing or revising your fire 

safety education program. Consider reaching out to those programs to see if 

they would be willing to share best practices, lessons learned, or resources 

they have developed with your fire department. 

Fire safety program resource matrix

RESOURCES AGE/GRADE GROUPS

Pre-K, 

K & 1st

2nd & 

3rd

4th & 

5th

Middle 

School

High 

School Adults Older Adults

Fire Safety Education Messages

(National Fire Protection Association)

n n n n n n n

www.nfpa.org

Fire Safety for Texans

(Texas Dept. of Insurance)

n n n n n

www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmcurric.html

Fire Safety for Young Children

(Oklahoma State University)

n n

http://info.ifsta.org/

Fire Safe Seniors Toolkit

Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention

n

www.usfa.fema.gov/prevention/outreach/older_adults.html

Learn Not to Burn

(National Fire Protection Association)

n

www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-public-educators/education-programs/learn-not-toburn-preschool-program

Masters of Disaster

(American Red Cross)

n n n n

www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/
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Fire safety program resource matrix

RESOURCES AGE/GRADE GROUPS

Pre-K, 

K & 1st

2nd & 

3rd

4th & 

5th

Middle 

School

High 

School Adults Older Adults

Remembering When

(National Fire Protection Association)

n

www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-public-educators/education-programs/rememberingwhen

Spray It Forward (South Carolina 

Division of Fire and Life Safety)

n n n n n

www.edventure.org/programs.aspx

United States Fire Administration n n n n n n n

www.usfa.fema.gov

Virginia Fire Department Programs n n n

www.vafire.com/fire_safety_education/activities_for_kids.html

www.vafire.com/fire_safety_education

Vermont Fire Safety House

(Vermont Division of Fire Safety)

n n n n n n n

firesafety.vermont.gov/

Creating Programs for All Learning Styles

People learn in many ways, like seeing, hearing, and experiencing things first 

hand. Often, they learn in more than one way, or learn in different ways at 

different times. But for most people, one of these methods stands out. Try to 

use several different techniques when planning to teach important fire safety 

concepts to ensure you are reaching all types of learners. 

The three main types of learning are:
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Auditory

Learners

Hearing

Learn best by hearing the information in group discussion 

or in face-to face interviews. For example, a speaking 

presentation to a 3rd grade class by a firefighter about the 

importance of creating an escape plan.

Visual

Learners

Seeing

Retain information by watching videos, seeing pictures 

or diagrams, or sketching out a concept. For example, a 

presentation to a 3rd grade class by a firefighter about 

the importance of creating an escape plan that uses a 

PowerPoint slide show with a graphic of an escape plan.

Kinesthetic

Learners

Doing

✍

Prefer hands-on activities such as taking notes or performing 

a task. For example, a presentation for 3rd graders on escape 

planning could include having the kids drawing maps of 

their homes and creating an escape plan for their home.

About 14% of people are considered mixed learners using all three styles. The 

mode in which people learn allows an instructor to adjust their presentation 

and create clear lines of communication that are essential to the learning 

process. If an instructor attempts to engage all learning styles, the end 

result is a greater satisfaction for the instructor and a genuine sense of 

accomplishment for the learners. Generally, people tend to retain 30% of what 

they see, 50% of what they hear, 70% of what they say and 90% of what they 

SAY and DO. 

Include various activities into your program that allow each learner the chance 

to retain the most information. Some suggestions for teaching aids and 

activities for inclusion could be:

Teaching Aids Activities

 Books 

 Charts 

 Tape/digital recorders 

 Videos 

 Role-play

 Field trips/tours

 Demonstrations

 Discussion groups
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Checklist for Delivering Presentations

A classroom presentation can be a valuable experience for both the students 

and the presenter. Successful presentations are well planned and actively 

engage the student participants. A Presentation Outline Template for 

organizing and developing your presentation can be found at the end of this 

section in Resources to assist your planning efforts. The following checklist 

includes some general suggestions intended to help make your presentation as 

effective as possible.

Before the Presentation

 Find out from the teacher why you were invited/scheduled. Are you 

there to:

•	 Serve as a role model for the students?

•	 Present a lesson on a specific topic?

•	 Offer career information?

 Think about what you want students to know or be able to do when 

you are done.

 Prepare presentation materials.

•	 Determine what visuals you will use.

•	 Concrete examples/models/samples will help to engage students.

•	 Make sure visuals are big enough for all to see.

•	 On posters or computer presentations, limit the number of words per 

page.
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During the Presentation

 Engage students. Encourage student questions and answer student 

questions as they arise.

 Let students tell what they know related to the topic.

 Include a student (or students) in demonstrations.

After the Presentation

 Conduct a brief evaluation.

 Thank the teacher for his/her time and help with the presentation. 

 If you will be repeating the presentation, consider what changes you 

might want to make for the next one.

A detailed Presentation Checklist to assist you in planning your program is 

included in the Resources table at the end of this section.

Tips for Developing Effective PowerPoint 

Presentations4

Many presentations today are given in a classroom 

setting and students are accustomed to the use of 

technology. It’s important to understand the best 

way to use computer software, such as PowerPoint, 

to complement your presentation and engage your 

students. Most of us have had the unfortunate 

experience of sitting in a classroom or meeting 

with a presenter who squeezed a ton of text onto 

each slide, read each slide verbatim, had distracting 

blinking images throughout the presentation, or all 

of the above. The Tips for Developing Powerpoint 

Presentations found in the resources section can 

be used to help you develop effective, well-received 

presentations, no matter what the age of the target audience.

4 Adapted from: Bird, Linda. “Avoid the mistakes of PowerPoint rookies.” Smart Computing. January 2001.
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Program Implementation

Developing Your Implementation Plan

The implementation plan outlines the steps for 

getting your program up and running smoothly 

once it is launched. Your plan should include the 

following details:

 How the program will be implemented, 

including when, how long, where, etc.

 The roles and responsibilities of individuals 

helping to implement the program.

 The process for pilot testing the program.

 Provisions for making any modifications to 

the program based on results of the pilot 

testing.

 A pre-delivery checklist identifying tasks that 

must be done prior to implementation.

 A description of potential implementation 

problems and contingencies.

The implementation plan is a listing or outline of work that needs to be done 

in order to meet program objectives. Each goal and its subsequent objectives 

require their own steps to complete the task. You can find worksheets for an

Implementation Plan and Timeline in the Resources table at the end of this 

section that can assist you with your planning.

Developing an Action Plan for Delivering Your Program to Your 

Community

What is an action plan? An action plan explains how 

you will take your thoughts and ideas about running 

your program from your implementation plan and 

change them into actions. An action plan consists of 

a number of steps or things that need to be done to 

make your program a reality. Use the Community 

Action Plan Development Checklist found in the 

Resources table at the end of this section to develop 

your action plan.
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Forming an Evaluation Plan

Evaluation of the activities and effects of your program is important to help 

you improve your program. It also gives you valuable data to report to 

funding agencies, which require this information on applications for renewed 

funding. An evaluation plan is a short summary that states the objectives of 

the evaluation, what information needs to be collected, and when and how 

the evaluation will be done. You can think of the evaluation plan as the 

instructions for the evaluation. Ideally, you should draft the evaluation plan 

while you develop your program work plan. 

As you develop objectives, activities, and timelines, documenting your progress 

toward them is a natural next step. Developing your evaluation plan as you 

develop your program:

 helps you think realistically about the process of evaluation and

 encourages you to monitor and assess your program’s implementation 

from the beginning, so that program improvements can be made.

Section 6 of this toolkit, Evaluation, will go into detail on how to develop your 

evaluation plan into actionable steps.

Now that you have the tools to develop your program and implementation 

plans, you’ll need resources and funding to bring your program to life. In the 

next section of the toolkit, you will learn about opportunities for grants, how 

to develop your applications, and additional ways to secure funding for your 

program.

Beyond the Basics

The content in this section of the fire safety toolkit includes information 

and materials that will further advance your knowledge in planning and 

implementing your program in your community. 

Risk Mitigation

During this phase of program planning, it is important to develop strategies 

and tactics to mitigate risks. Your partners and planning committee can start 

to think about the five-E’s framework from the Community Risk Reduction 

Model in relation to your identified fire risks.
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Ask Yourself:5

mergency Response: Would changes in our emergency response 

protocols help? 

ngineering: Are there engineering/technology solutions that could help? 

ducation: Would educating the public help – if so who, what, when, how? 

conomic Incentives: Could economic incentives improve compliance 

and/or raise awareness? 

nforcement: Is stronger enforcement required? 

Not every fire risk you identify will require you to address all five “E’s”. 

However, you may find yourself needing to address policy in order to enforce 

fire codes or perhaps within your local school district to address education 

and awareness. Given the limited resources of fire departments, these types of 

risks are perfect examples of items that can be addressed through the use or a 

community coalition that could assist in coordinating efforts with community 

partners to help address identified risks.

Making Your Materials Easier to Read

The term “reading level” refers to the number of years of education required 

for a reader to understand the written material. Some experts suggest that 

aiming for a third- to fifth-grade level is very appropriate for low-literate 

readers, but your materials should target your specific audience. The table 

below outlines the pros and cons of using a readability test.

Pros of Using Readability Tests Cons of Using Readability Tests

 Measure what grade level must have 

been completed to understand the text.

 Text-based.

 Easy to use.

 Do not require live subjects to test.

 Good tool to determine complexity of 

material.

 Cannot tell you if a person will 

understand the text.

 Cannot measure the complexity of a 

word.

To determine the general readability level of your materials, you can use a 

word-processing program such as Microsoft Word to calculate readability 

5 Integrated Risk Management. A Fire Service Context. Vision 20/20. Downloaded from www.strategicfire.org on 4/1/2011.
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statistics. Go to “help” for the program and search for “readability statistics” 

or “grade level” to find the options for your version of the program. After 

choosing to show readability statistics, a spell check of your document will 

provide readability statistics for you review.

A second option is The SMOG6

 (Statistical Measure of Gobbledygook) 

Readability Test. It is a simple method you can use to determine the reading 

level of your written materials. If a person reads at or above a grade level, 

they will understand 90–100% of the information. For general audiences, 

aim for a reading level of 6th grade or less; for low-literate audiences aim for 

3rd–5th grade. In addition, to ensure that the text is clear and readable, read 

your draft aloud.

How to use the SMOG test7:

1. Count 10 sentences in a row near the beginning of your material. Count 

10 sentences in the middle. Count 10 sentences near the end (a total of 30 

sentences). 

2. Count every word with three or more syllables in each group of sentences, 

even if the same word appears more than once. 

3. Add the total number of words counted. Use the SMOG Conversion Table 

to find the grade level.

Smog Readability Conversion Table8:

Word Count Reading Grade Level

0-2 4

3-6 5

7-12 6

13-20 7

21-30 8

31-42 9

43-56 10

57-72 11

73-90 12

6 Adapted from McLaughlin, G. (1969), SMOG grading: A new readability formula. Journal of Reading, 12 (8) 639-646.

7 McGraw, H.C. (n.d.). The SMOG readability formula. In Patient Education Materials: An Author’s Guide: Readability Testing. Retrieved August 2011, 

from: cancercontrol.cancer.gov/use_what_works/mod4/Module_4_Handout_4.pdf

8 The SMOG conversion table was developed by Harold C. McGraw, Office of Educational Research, Baltimore Co. Public Schools, Towson, MD.
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Word Count Reading Grade Level

91-110 13

111-132 14

133-156 15

Word Counting Rules:

A sentence is any group of words ending with a period, exclamation point, or question 

mark. 

 Words with hyphens count-as-one-word. 

 Proper nouns are counted. 

 Read numbers out loud to determine the number of syllables. 

 In long sentences with colons or semicolons followed by a list, count each part of the 

list with the beginning phrase of the sentence as an individual sentence. 

 Count abbreviations as the whole word they represent.

Developing Clear and Simple Messages9

Unfortunately, there are millions of Americans who have low literacy levels 

that prevent them from functioning adequately in our increasingly complex 

and technology-based society. Many brochures and educational handouts that 

you get from doctors and health-based agencies are written at a tenth-grade 

reading level, which is much higher than the average person can understand. 

Keeping your target audience in mind when developing your program 

will help them understand the material. According to the National Cancer 

Institute’s Clear and Simple Guide, there are five guidelines you should follow 

when developing materials:

1. Define your target audience: Low-literate audiences span all cultural 

boundaries and generally have the following characteristics:

 Tend to think in concrete/immediate rather than abstract/futuristic 

terms. 

 Interpret information literally. 

 May read the words but not understand what they mean. 

 May not be able to follow directions or translate information into action. 

For example, they may not understand that a bus schedule means the 

bus will leave at a specific time from a specific place. 

9 Clear and Simple: Developing Effective Print Materials for Low-Literate Readers, NCI www.cancer.gov/aboutnci/oc/clear-and-simple/page1
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2. Conduct target audience research: In order to understand your 

audience, you must carry out research, including reviewing existing data 

and/or gathering new data on relevant physical, behavioral, demographic, 

and psychographic characteristics. It is essential to learn: 

 What the target audience already knows about your topic. 

 What rumors, myths, and misinformation may exist about the topic. 

 How audience members feel about the topic. 

 What questions and information gaps there are.

 Specific ethnic, cultural, and lifestyle preferences of your audience.

3. Develop a concept for the material: After completing the target 

audience research, you can begin to outline the objectives, style, format, 

and approach of the product or program that will carry your fire safety 

message.

4. Develop content and visuals: Low-literacy experts have identified key 

principles for developing effective materials for this audience. 

Content

 The material is interactive and allows for audience involvement. 

 The material presents “how-to” information. 

 Peer language is used whenever appropriate to increase personal 

identification and improve readability. Readability check is done to 

determine reading level.

 Words are familiar to the reader. Any new words are defined clearly. 

 Sentences are simple, specific, direct, and written in the active voice. 

 Each idea is clear and in logical order. 

 The number of ideas is limited per piece. 

 The material uses concrete examples rather than abstract ideas. 

 The text highlights and summarizes important points.

Layout

 The material uses advanced organizers or headers. 

 Headers are simple and close to text. 

 Layout balances white space with words and illustrations. 

 Text uses upper and lower case letters. 
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 Underlining or bolding (rather than all caps), are used for emphasis. 

 Type style and size of print are easy-to-read; type is at least 12 point. 

Visuals

 Visuals are relevant to text, meaningful to the audience, and 

appropriately located. 

 Illustrations and photographs are simple and free from clutter and 

distraction. 

 Visuals for adult audiences use adult rather than child-oriented images. 

 Illustrations show familiar images that are culturally appropriate. 

 Visuals have captions. Each visual illustrates and is directly related to 

one message. 

 Different styles, such as photographs without background detail, shaded 

line drawings, or simple line drawings, are pretested with the audience 

to determine which is understood best. 

 Cues, such as circles or arrows, point out key information. 

 Colors used are appealing to the audience (as determined by 

pretesting). 

 Visuals demonstrate simple-to-follow directions that can be understood 

without captions. A sample pictogram that can be used as a guide for 

developing your own is included in the Teaching Strategies and Sample 

Materials Section.

5. Pretest and revise materials: Pretesting helps to ensure that materials 

are well understood, responsive to audience needs and concerns, and 

culturally sensitive. It is essential to make every effort to set aside funding 

to pretest materials with your target audiences, especially for low-literate 

groups. 

Once you have planned your program, you can begin to market your program 

to the community. Even the best program, with more than enough funding, 

cannot help your community if you don’t take the time to spread the word and 

promote the program to your target audience. In the next section, you will 

learn the basics about social marketing and also have access to sample tools 

and templates you can modify for use with your program.
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More Information  Public Fire Education Planning—A Five Step Process. 

A manual developed by FEMA to assist individuals new to developing 

community programs with the basic concepts needed. It also provides 

tips for locating resources for your programs. 

https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

3–19 SMART Goal Setting Worksheet Worksheet aimed at helping to focus your 

program planning efforts by setting clear 

goals and objectives.

3–21 Community Action Plan 

Development Checklist

Checklist that will assist your action plan 

development with clear-cut actionable 

steps.

3–23 Project Implementation Plan 

Worksheet

Template that can be used to organize 

tasks involved with your program 

development.

3–25 Sample Project Implementation 

Timeline

Sample document to illustrate how you 

might set up your own project timeline.

3–27 Presentation Outline Template This template is designed to assist you 

in organizing your thoughts for creating 

a presentation for your specific target 

audience.

3–29 Tips for Developing PowerPoint 

Presentations

Tips sheet with helpful reminders for 

writing and designing PowerPoint slides 

that will enhance your presentation.

3–33 Presentation Checklist Checklist with items to assist you in 

planning what you will need to deliver an 

effective presentation.
3-19

SMART Goal-Setting Worksheet
SMART Goal-Setting Worksheet

Write your program’s purpose based on what you now know about your community 

and its greatest needs after performing a community needs assessment.

Program Purpose:

___________________________________________________________________________

Goals should always be: S pecific M easur S M able A

A ttainable R ealistic R T ime-Based T

GOAL 1:

___________________________________________________________________________

Objective 1a: _______________________________________________________________

Objective 1b:_______________________________________________________________

Objective 1c: _______________________________________________________________

GOAL 2:

___________________________________________________________________________

Objective 2a: _______________________________________________________________

Objective 2b:_______________________________________________________________

Objective 2c: _______________________________________________________________

GOAL 3:

___________________________________________________________________________

Objective 3a: _______________________________________________________________

Objective 3b:_______________________________________________________________

Objective 3c: _______________________________________________________________

Plan ahead for any potential barriers and have solutions ready to implement if 

needed:

Potential Barriers Potential Solutions

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________

_________________________________ _________________________________
3-21

Community Action Plan Development 

Checklist
Community Action Plan Development Checklist10

Determine what people and sectors of the community should be changed and 

involved

q Media (print, electronic, and broadcast)

q Business community (e.g., Chamber of Commerce)

q Churches, synagogues, and religious organizations

q Schools & senior centers (public, parochial, and private)

q Youth organizations (e.g., Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts)

q Service organizations (e.g., Rotary Club, Lions, etc.)

q Influential people and community leaders (politicians, school officials, local 

officials, etc.) 

q Members of the various ethnic groups in your community

Convene a planning group to design your action plan

q Try to make the committee as diverse and inclusive as possible

q Include people most affected by the problem or issue

Develop an action plan composed of action steps

q Include information and ideas you have already gathered about your objectives 

& strategies

q Determine what action or change will occur (e.g., Pre-k and K will learn about 

fire safety)

q Determine who will carry it out

q Determine when it will take place and for how long

q Determine what resources are needed to carry out the change

q Determine what communication needs to be done (who should know what)

Review the completed action plan

q Make sure that each action will help accomplish your goal

q Make sure that you aren’t leaving anything out

Follow through

q Implement the plan

q Keep track and keep everyone informed about what’s going on

10 Adapted from the Community Tool Box: http://ctb.ku.edu
3-23

Project Implementation Plan Worksheet
Project Implementation Plan Worksheet

Date:________________________________________

Action

To Be 

Completed 

By

Person 

Responsible

Resources 

Needed

Completion 

Date

Goal: 

Objective: 

Goal: 

Objective: 

Goal: 

Objective: 

Goal: 

Objective: 

Goal: 

Objective: 
3-25

Sample Project Implementation Timeline
Sample Project Implementation Timeline

Activities Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

Staffing

Recruit volunteers

Hire

Train

Training Workshop

Secure site

Develop agenda

Invite community stakeholders

Prepare materials

Marketing

Develop brochures

Printed poster display

Create business cards

Evaluation

Develop feedback survey

Create data entry spreadsheet

Analyze data

Write final report
3-27

Presentation Outline Template
Presentation Outline Template

Step 1—Preparation

 Topic—Decide what you are going to talk about.

 Audience—Consider who will be listening to you and how to meet their 

needs.

 Refine or limit topic—Reframe to meet the needs of your audience.

 Define purpose—Is it, for example, to persuade, inform, demonstrate, 

entertain, or welcome? Is it a combination of these?

Step 2—Introduction

 Greeting-attention getter—How are you going to greet your audience, grab 

their attention and compel them to listen?

 Thesis statement—A one sentence summary of your speech topic and your 

point of view or angle. Example: Prevention is the key to fire safety education.

 Credibility—Establishes your right to speak on the topic, cites your 

qualification or expertise.

 Summative overview—Brief outline of the main points to be covered.

 Benefit—What’s in your speech for your audience? Why will they want to hear 

what you’ve got to tell them?

Step 3—Body

 Transition—The link between your introduction and the main body of your 

speech.

 Main idea 1—Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - 

Transition to...

 Main idea 2—Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - 

Transition to...

 Main idea 3—Supporting ideas - Details and examples - Visuals or props - 

Transition to...

Step 4—Conclusion

 Summary of main ideas—From body of speech.

 Re-statement of thesis statement—From introduction.

 Re-statement of benefit to audience—From introduction.

 Closer, clincher or call to action—Final sentence.
3-29

Tips for Developing PowerPoint Presentations
Tips for Developing PowerPoint Presentations11

Fonts

q Select sans-serif fonts such as Arial or Helvetica. Avoid serif fonts such as 

Times New Roman or Palatino as they are sometimes more difficult to read.

q Use no font size smaller than 24 point.

q Clearly label each screen. Use a larger font (35–45 points) or different color 

for the title.

q Use a single sans-serif font for most of the presentation. Use different colors, 

sizes and styles (bold, underline) for impact.

q Avoid italicized fonts as they are difficult to read quickly.

q No more than 6–8 words per line.

q For bullet points, use the 6 x 6 Rule. One thought per line with no more than 

6 words per line and no more than 6 lines per slide.

q Use dark text on light background or light text on dark background. However, 

dark backgrounds sometimes make it difficult for some people to read the 

text. 

q Do not use all caps except for titles.

q Test the font; stand back six feet from the monitor and see if you can read the 

slide.

Graphics and Design

q Keep the background consistent and subtle.

q Use only enough text when using charts or graphs to explain and clearly label 

the graphic.

q Keep the design clean and uncluttered. Leave empty space around the text 

and graphics.

q Use quality clipart and use it sparingly. The graphic should relate to and 

enhance the topic of the slide.

q Try to use the same style graphics throughout the presentation (e.g. cartoon, 

photographs).

q Limit the number of graphics on each slide.

q Check all graphics on a projection screen before the actual presentation.

q Avoid flashy graphics and noisy animation effects unless they relate directly to 

the slide. 

q Limit the number of transitions used. It is often better to use only one so the 

audience knows what to expect.

11 Adapted from: Bird, Linda. “Avoid the Mistakes of PowerPoint Rookies.” Smart Computing. January 2001.
Color

q Limit the number of colors on a single screen.

q Bright colors make small objects and thin lines stand out. However, some 

vibrant colors are difficult to read when projected.

q Use no more than four colors on one chart.

q Check all colors on a projection screen before the actual presentation. They 

may project differently than what appears on the monitor.

Final Tips for General Presentation

q Check the spelling and grammar.

q Do not read the presentation. Practice the presentation so you can speak 

from bullet points. The text should be a cue for the presenter rather than a 

message for the viewer.

q Give a brief overview at the start. Then present the information. At the end, 

review important points.

q It is often more effective to have bulleted points appear one at a time so the 

audience listens to the presenter rather than reading the screen.

q Use a wireless mouse or pick up the wired mouse so you can move around as 

you speak.

q If sound effects are used, wait until the sound has finished to begin speaking.

q If the content is complex, print out the slides so the audience can take notes.

q Do not turn your back on the audience. Try to position the monitor so you 

can speak from it.
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3-33

Presentation Checklist
Presentation Checklist

Before the Presentation

q Consider the overall goal of the visit.

q Find out from the teacher why you were invited/scheduled. Are you there to:

•	 Serve as a role model for the students?

•	 Present a lesson on a specific topic?

•	 Offer career information?

q Find out from the teacher what is developmentally appropriate.

•	 Grade level and ability.

•	 Previous experiences related to the topic.

•	 Type of presentation that would be most appropriate.

q Will it be one visit or multiple visits over time?

q Do you have materials for the teacher to use prior to or after your visit?

q Think about what you want students to know or be able to do when you are 

done.

q Presentation materials.

•	 Determine what visuals you will use.

•	 Concrete examples/models/samples will help to engage students.

•	 Make sure visuals are big enough for all to see.

•	 On posters or computer presentations, limit the number of words/page.

q If you are doing a demonstration, practice it.

q Make a list of the questions you will ask students during the presentation.

During the Presentation

q Engage students.

q Tell students your name and where you are from.

q Show your enthusiasm for the topic—if you sound boring you will be boring.

q When a student asks a question, restate it so the whole group can hear.

q Ask questions. Do your best to tailor the questions to the ability of the 

students.

q Encourage student questions and answer student questions as they arise.

q Ask open-ended questions that students have to think about.

q When you ask a question, allow students time to come up with an answer – 

don’t get anxious to move on while they are mentally forming their response. 

q Spread your attention around. Interact with as many students as possible.

q Go beyond “yes” and “no” answers—include explanations of why.
q Don’t worry about not having all the answers.

q If you don’t know answers, admit you don’t know.

q Where is this information seen/used in the “real world”—make connections.

q Emphasize the positive impact of your work on students’ lives.

q Don’t use big words, or if you do, explain what they mean.

q Limit the amount of information.

q Let students tell what they know related to the topic.

q Be careful with their feelings when they give a wrong answer.

q Include a student (or students) in demonstrations.

After the Presentation

q Conduct a brief evaluation. (see Section 5 Evaluate)

•	 Ask students what they learned.

•	 Develop a short survey (e.g., What did you like? What did you find most 

interesting?).

q Thank the teacher for his/her time and help with the presentation. 

q If you will be repeating the presentation, consider what changes you might 

want to make for the next one.
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4

MARKET YOUR PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 4-1

The first 3 steps of the program planning process 

walked you through assessing your community for 

fire risks, developing partnerships to assist in your 

efforts, and planning your program. However, your 

community must know about your program for it 

to make an impact.

This section will show you how to:

 build on partnership development and 

program planning from the previous two 

sections, and 

 take your program into the community through marketing and media 

outlets. 

Reaching Your Audience1

Why Promote Your Program?

There can be many reasons why a fire safety education program has been 

developed for a community. No matter the reason behind the program, 

the intended audience must be convinced of the need for the program 

and motivated to participate in it. A marketing plan for your program will 

communicate its benefits, which include lives saved, injuries prevented, 

property protected, and expenses avoided. 

Developing a Marketing Plan

“Social” marketing applies commercial marketing techniques to social 

problems. Marketing principles are the same for selling shoes or pizza as 

they are for promoting fire safety. It comes down to one basic principle: 

changing people’s behavior. 

Creative promotion of your program uses easy-to-understand messages and 

repeats those messages through various channels to reach the largest audience. 

Marketing helps you2:

 decide who you want to influence, 

1 Adapted from Social Marketing of Successful Components of the Initiative, Chapter 45. Community Tool Box: http://ctb.ku.edu

2 Adapted from CDC, What is Health Marketing? www.cdc.gov/healthmarketing

 Research marketing 

strategies 

 Develop a 

marketing plan

 Create marketing 

materials
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4-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

 reach your target audience, and

 determine how to sway people to 

change their behavior.

Use the four “P’s” of marketing when 

putting your plan together:

 Product: What is the desired action you are asking your audience to 

take? What kind of fire safety program will you be providing?

 Price: What is the cost or what loss can be prevented by participating? 

How much time and effort will your audience have to expend to 

participate? Will the organization benefit financially? Are benefits to 

participants greater than their costs?

 Place: Where will the audience perform the desired behavior or 

where will your program take place? Will you make presentations at 

elementary schools or install smoke alarms in homes?

 Promotion: How will you use direct communication, publicity, and 

advertising to reach your audience and encourage participation in your 

program?

Sample of the four “P”s in marketing a program: 

The Mount Smokey Fire Department develops a new smoke alarm installation program 

aimed at getting free smoke alarms installed in every home in town. The department 

contacts local news stations and businesses to promote the new initiative. The department 

also sends brochures to local schools, officials, and community centers. Here is how the fire 

department used the four “P”s in the marketing mix:

 Product: Smoke Alarm Installation Program

 Price: FREE

 Place: Community wide 

 Promotion: Local news stations and businesses

In a nutshell, when conducting a fire prevention marketing campaign:

 Identify what program to promote (for example, increase use of 

smoke alarms in a given area).

 Identify your audience. What message do you want to get across? You 

may want to get a message across to several different groups; and in 

that case, it may be more effective to use different ways to influence 

each group. 

 Identify barriers to participation. Through interviews, surveys, focus 

All four “P’s” should be present 

in every marketing 

plan for it to be 

successful.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 4-3

4

groups or other methods, you’ll want to find out what makes it difficult 

or unattractive for people to participate. Put yourself in the shoes of 

each of your target audiences. Is escape planning too silly for high 

school students? Do parents know two ways out of every bedroom—on 

the second floor? 

 Reduce barriers to participation. Plan ways to make participation 

easier, more accessible, and more attractive. Your fire company might 

provide incentives for participation. 

 Pretest your ideas on a small number of people and then revise your 

plan based on the results.

 Publicize the benefits of the program, and the way in which people 

can take advantage of your efforts.

 Assess the results of your program and make revisions where 

necessary.

The following table gives you an overview of each step a sample marketing 

plan in order to help you develop your own. Marketing steps for a “promoting 

smoke alarm installation” program are included as an example. A Marketing 

Plan Template is included in the Resources table at the end of this section.

Sample Marketing Plan

Step Description Example: Promoting Smoke 

Alarm Installation

1 Identify the 

program

A product or service related to 

fire safety.

Smoke alarm installation 

program

2

Identify your 

audience

The target audience for the 

program and the motivation 

(the benefits of the program for 

the audience).

Older adults

3

Identify barriers Use interviews, surveys, focus 

groups to find out what gets in 

the way of program. Consider 

awareness, access, and cost.

Accessibility and price

4

Remove barriers Change cost, where you get 

the product/service; use 

communication, publicity, and 

advertising.

 Discounts for smoke 

alarms

 Smoke alarm installation 

days
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4-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

Step Description Example: Promoting Smoke 

Alarm Installation

5 Pretest Try out your ideas with a small 

group and then improve your 

marketing plan as needed.

Pretest with senior housing 

apartment building

8

Publicize Develop a simple and clear 

message about the product/

service and its benefits to be 

communicated multiple times 

across multiple channels.

 Flyers

 Posters

 Radio announcements

9

Check your work Measure change after product/

service is provided.

Compare the smoke alarm 

installation rate before 

and after the program to 

measure success.

Fortunately, there is a wide range of materials you can use to help you market 

your program and spread your fire safety messages. Planning and preparation 

are essential to a successful marketing plan. No matter what methods you 

choose to market your program, you need to keep it fresh and to market often. 

Strategies for Promoting Programs

Getting the Word Out 

Developing a fire safety education program 

can be a challenging task, especially when 

you think about all the different audiences 

you are trying to reach. This section of 

the fire safety toolkit includes additional 

information and materials that will further 

help to promote your program in your 

community with your target audience in 

mind. Below are some strategies you can use for getting your program off the 

ground.

 Distribute teaser material for the upcoming program.

 Plan a kick-off rally: 

•	 announce your program to potential collaborators,

•	 provide handouts that explain the mission of the program for 

attendees to take home.

Community members need to be 

made aware of your fire safety 

education efforts.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 4-5

4

 Use an elevator speech that focuses on the heart of your program. An 

elevator speech is a prepared 15–30 second presentation that grabs 

attention in a few words. See the elevator speech template listed in the 

Resources table at the end of this section.

 Conduct a mail campaign.

 Hand out brochures and fact sheets:

•	 to neighbors when called to respond to house fires,

•	 to employees when called to worksites, and

•	 during Fire Safety Month activities and events.

 Plan safety messages based on seasonal risks such as:

•	 summer barbeques, 

•	 winter heating,

•	 holiday cooking, and 

•	 holiday trees and decorations.

 Contact local media and key players to discuss and distribute 

promotional material for your event.

Publicizing Success Stories

Has anyone escaped a fire using information learned during a fire safety trailer 

program session? When called to a home to respond to a fire, ask questions 

to determine how they escaped and how they knew what to do. You can use 

success stories to:

 respond to public inquiries about the 

program,

 educate decision makers,

 reveal that funds are well spent,

 make the target population aware 

of your program,

 display program progress, and

 request needed resources.

Success stories can have many different formats depending on their audience 

and purpose. These formats include an elevator story, a spotlight paragraph, 

a one-page success story, a two-page success story, and a published article. 

Several resources are included in the toolkit to assist you.

Success stories can be a 

powerful evaluation tool that 

communicates a program’s 

accomplishments to key 

stakeholders.
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4-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

 A Sample Success Story, a Data Collection Tool, and a Tips for a 

Success Story are included in the Resources table at the end of this 

section to help you develop your own success stories.

 A guide titled “How to Develop a Success Story” is available on the CDC 

website at www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/stories/pdf/howto_create_success_

story.pdf.

 CDC’s Success Story Portal is an online collection of real stories about 

injury prevention successes. It has an online success story generator 

and guidance to help you develop and print for use with your program. 

www.cdc.gov/injury/SuccessStories

Marketing Materials

You will need a variety of materials to get your message out and promote your 

program. First, determine what key fire safety messages are appropriate for 

your specific program—for instance:

 Get out and stay out.

 Go to your family’s meeting place.

 Crawl low under smoke.

 Smoke alarm batteries should be tested monthly.

There are a number of materials you can develop at little-or-no cost to you. 

Use your key program messages in these essential materials:

 PowerPoint presentations,

 brochures,

 fact sheets,

 success stories,

 print ads and news articles,

 posters

Samples of materials and templates for marketing your program that you can 

use when working with the media (news article, flyer, poster, public service 

announcements, and success stories) are in the Resources table at the end of 

this section. Software programs such as Microsoft PowerPoint® and Publisher®

have ready-to-use templates for a variety of materials that will allow you to 

simply cut and paste in your program information. Additional tips, guidance, 

and examples can be found at:
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4

Colorado Nonprofit Association—Communications Toolkit contains 

information about how to communicate internally and externally, with a 

special emphasis on working with the media.

www.coloradononprofits.org/help-desk-resources/nonprofit-help-desk/

faqs-resources/communications

Beyond the Basics

Media coverage is important in educating your community about your program 

because it carries your message to a much larger audience. To keep things 

simple, think about designating a spokesperson who is comfortable with 

public speaking as your media contact. This will help to ensure that the same 

message is being communicated each time and the materials you’ve developed 

support that message.3

 The next few sections will provide you with some 

valuable tips for working with the media.

Working With the Media

Working with the media is essential to raise awareness and communicate 

important information to the public. It can seem a bit overwhelming if you 

aren’t prepared to give an interview, create a press release, or even answer 

questions at a public event. Use the tips below, compiled from the Colorado 

Nonprofit Association Working with the Media: Non Profit Toolkit, to prepare 

for working with the media:

1. Develop short, key messages that you can refer to quickly.

2. Remember your audience and try to avoid using acronyms and jargon.

3. Try to relate your information/program to current local events.

4. For consistency, have one key person designated as the media contact.

5. Develop a press kit with facts sheet, quotes, and background information 

for announcing larger events or programs in your community.

6. Make sure you have all the details for your message by answering the 

following 5 W’s:

3 Wallack et. al., News For a Change: An Advocates Guide to Working with the Media. Thousand Oaks, CA. Sage Publications, 1999.
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4-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

Who are you? Who do you represent?

What news are you reporting? Is there an event? Are you publicizing a particular issue or 

event?

When will the event take place?

Where will the event take place?

Why should others care about what you are doing?

Determining What Media Outlets

First, think about who your program is trying to reach—general community, 

children, adults, teens, etc. Then, think about where that group of people 

gets most of their information about local news and events. Defining your 

audience will help you to determine which media will be most effective. 

There has been a shift from traditional media outlets, such as newspapers, 

to online social media for communication, but traditional channels are still 

important. A sample list of sources that can be used for your media effort is 

given below: 

 TV, radio, and newspaper reporters or other individuals, such as wellknown community bloggers.

 Local newsletter editors (church, school, etc.).

 Hosts and producers of local television and radio news programs. 

 Online social-media outlets such as email lists, personal blogs, 

Facebook, GooglePlus, Twitter, etc. can provide free publicity quickly 

and to large groups of people with the ability to promote your event on 

your audience’s own pages. (See “Make best use of social media tools”).

Help the Media Help You

Develop a press information packet that contains material on the program 

you are trying to promote “in a nutshell.” Have these packets ready to share 

electronically so you can use them to educate reporters on the issue and 

interest them in a story. 

Materials you may want to include in your press information packet consist of: 

 Information about your department and prevention program;

 Contact information for the press spokesperson; 

 Background data (such as fact sheets) on fire statistics and other 

relevant information; 
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 4-9

4

 Information on how the program will address community needs; and

 Materials that help reporters write a story, such as recent research on 

local fire statistics, quotes from the community, and an overview of the 

program.

Making Best Use of Social Media Tools

Use online social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter to 

connect to other organizations and potential supporters who 

might not be aware of your program. These tools quickly 

broadcast your message to a large audience. A blog post can 

be promoted by a Twitter message (“tweet”) and by a posting 

on your Facebook page. Videos can be uploaded to YouTube 

and shared via Twitter and Facebook; likewise, photos can 

be uploaded to Flickr and shared. Any videos, fact sheets, or 

other materials that you have developed for your program are 

easy to post to Facebook—in fact, it is easier to post materials 

to Facebook than to a regular website. If you have a valuable message or 

program to promote, others will help share your information on their own 

Facebook pages or Twitter accounts. An overview, “Using Social Media to 

Expand your Safety Message Outreach,” is in the Resources table at the end 

of this section. The specific services mentioned here may become yesterday’s 

news by the time that you read this; these services are examples only. Stay up 

to date on the latest popular social media tools by talking to your partners and 

your audience and find out what they are using—and follow them.

Final Tips: Spreading the Word to Reach People4

 Use word of mouth. The best source of a referral is someone who was 

helped and thought you offered a good service. Encourage your users 

to “Tell a friend about us.” Getting user referrals is a true indication of a 

program’s reach into a community.

 Use social media. Your audience and your supporters and partners 

are online. Use blogs, email discussion lists, social networks (such as 

Facebook), and Twitter to expand your safety message outreach.

 Identify and target “gatekeepers” who affect your population’s ability 

to participate. In rural areas or some cultures, for example, fathers are 

often seen as “gatekeepers” for the entire family. If they say “No,” no 

one in the family will take part. Reach out directly to fathers, mothers, 

grandparents, or teens—whoever you can identify as gatekeepers/

decision-makers.

4 From The Community Tool Box: ctb.ku.edu/ 
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4-10 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

 Distribute or conduct a basic survey concerning your issue. Surveys 

provide a vehicle for communication with individuals or households. 

You can distribute a survey in schools (with permission from the 

principal or school district), at community events, or one-to-one on 

the street. Keep questions simple and request contact information for 

follow-up.

 Place inserts in local/regional newspapers. Distribution of inserts/

flyers in local papers is cost effective and allows for broad distribution. 

They reach many people who would not otherwise see your material. 

Use the free newspaper if one exists in your community.

 Send information home with students in school materials. Work with 

local schools to send flyers home with children’s report cards or other 

“must see” school communications.

 Create a display window in a prominent area. Put your information in 

a window on a well-traveled street, at a popular gathering area, or in a 

bus depot.

 Use children’s artwork in your promotional material. Children’s 

artwork uses unconventional language and has community appeal.

 Use businesses that distribute products in the community. Get 

flyers/inserts in supermarket shopping bags or in take-out food 

containers, such as pizza boxes. These messages reach many people 

throughout the community, at low cost to you.

 Advertise in restaurants. Place your program’s message on food tray 

liners or paper placemats at restaurants. This provides a non-traditional 

context for getting the message to many people in a potentially fun 

setting.

 Participate in national promotional campaigns. Create activities to tie 

in with Fire Prevention Week in October, the Great American Smokeout, 

or even Grandparents Day to spread awareness of your program. Many 

of these campaigns provide materials to help develop community 

forums, articles, media events, exhibits, banners, and the like.

“A strong, clear fire safety message can be 

extremely persuasive.”

—Fire Safety Educator
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 4-11

4

 Be creative and interactive at health fairs and community 

events. Provide incentives for people to take information, fill out a 

questionnaire, or complete an application. These may include raffles, 

small gifts for children or adults, or children’s activities. Have unusual 

attention-getting table displays or have staff wear costumes or eyecatching attire, such as T-shirts saying, “Need a free smoke alarm? Talk 

to me.”

 Provide information to local police. Police are respected members of 

the community and have a positive influence on programs.

 Offer training to those who can help spread your fire safety 

messages. Don’t overlook teachers, senior center administrations and 

staff, scout leaders, camp counselors, and others who might spread the 

word.

 Be creative in seeking partnerships. Work with services and agencies 

that connect with your population. 

As your program begins to take off and you are out in the community 

delivering your fire safety messages, you should begin to take note of the 

impact your program is having on the community. The next section of the 

toolkit will introduce you to program evaluation and how you can incorporate 

evaluation to improve your prevention efforts. 

More Information  Strategies for Marketing Your Fire Department Today and Beyond. 

A marketing guide for fire service personnel to get programs out to 

community members. www.usfa.fema.gov 

 Marketing Fire Prevention in Your Community. 

www.gpstc.org

 Adding Power to Our Voices: A Framing Guide 

for Communicating About Injury. A CDC 

communications guide developed to help build 

messages, write press releases, and provide tools 

to generate awareness of your program. The 

guide includes a fire-safety “message funnel” to 

help you adapt your messages to audiences that 

have different levels of interest in the subject. 

www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/CDCFramingGuide-a.pdf 
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4-12 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

4

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

4–15 Marketing Plan Template This worksheet can help direct your efforts 

to market you program by walking you 

through the steps needed.

4–17 Elevator Speech Template Outline that will assist you in planning the 

details of your program for presenting to 

stakeholders.

4–19 Sample Success Story This is a sample of a method you can use to 

get the word out about your program and 

the impact it’s having on your community.

4–21 Sample Flyer A sample that helps illustrate the 

information that you should include on a 

flyer about your program or event.

4–23 Template for a Public Service 

Announcement

Outline of information to be included in 

a Public Service Announcement for your 

program.

4–25 Sample Poster A sample that helps illustrate the 

information that you should include on a 

poster about your program or event.

4–27 Tips for a Success Story Template that includes the key information 

you should include when writing your 

success story.

Online Success Story Data Collection Tool A CDC word document that breaks out 

all the information you should collect in 

order to prepare to write your program 

success story. www.cdc.gov/OralHealth/

publications/library/pdf/ss_data_

collection_tool.doc
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4

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

Online Success Stories Portal from the This website has a collection of success 

Centers for Disease Control and stories related to injury and violence 

Prevention’s (CDC) National Center prevention, as well as an online tool that 

for Injury Prevention and Control will generate a success story you can print 

and use within your community. The site 

also has printable worksheets that can 

assist you in writing your success story and 

the details about your program. 

www.cdc.gov/injury/SuccessStories/index.

html

Online Using Social Media to Expand your An NFPA presentation that encourages 

Safety Message Outreach outreach via social media is summarized in 

this Firehouse.com article: 

www.firehouse.com/topics/7/nfpaencourages-outreach-social-media

The full slide presentation is available: 

www.slideshare.net/mhazell/nfusingsocial-media-to-expand-your-safetymessage-outreach
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4-15

Marketing Plan Template 
Marketing Plan Template 

Step Description Details

1 Identify the program A product or service related to 

fire safety.

2

Identify your audience The target audience for the 

program and the motivation 

(the benefits of the program for 

the audience).

3

Identify barriers Use interviews, surveys, focus 

groups to find out what gets in 

the way of program. Consider 

awareness, access, and cost.

4

Remove barriers Change cost, where you get 

the product/service; use 

communication, publicity, and 

advertising.

5

Pretest Try out your ideas with a small 

group and then improve your 

marketing plan as needed.

8

Publicize Develop a simple and clear 

message about the product/

service and its benefits to be 

communicated multiple times 

across multiple channels.

9 Check your work Measure change after product/

service is provided.
4-17

Elevator Speech Template
Elevator Speech Template

Four questions your “Elevator Speech” should answer:

1. What is it you are offering?

Briefly describe what the program is. Do not go into detail. 

2. Who is your target audience?

Briefly discuss who you are hoping to reach with the program. 

3. Who is behind the program?

“Bet on the jockey, not the horse” is a familiar saying among investors. Tell them a 

little about you and your organization’s background and achievements.

4. What does your program bring to the table?

You need to effectively communicate how your program is different and why a 

potential partner or participant should want to be a part of it.

What your “Elevator Speech” should contain:

1. A “hook”

Open your pitch by getting their attention with a “hook.” A statement or question 

that piques their interest to want to hear more. 

2. About 150-225 words 

Your pitch should go no longer than 60 seconds.

3. Passion

Potential collaborators want to see a vested interest in the program you are 

pitching. 

4. A request 

At the end of your pitch, you must ask for something. Do you want their business 

card, to schedule a full presentation, to ask for their support? 
4-19

Sample Success Story
Sample Success Story

SMITHTOWN, VA—The region around Smithtown, CA has been experiencing a 

declining economy and a low per capita income, with 29 percent of their citizens 

living below poverty level. 

Studies show poverty is the single most important factor related to unintentional 

injuries in children.5

 According to the US Fire Administration, fires and burns were 

the third leading cause of unintentional fatal injuries to children 14 or younger. In 

addition, children from low-income families have been found to be five times more 

likely to die in a fire.6

Due to the increased risk and incidence of fire deaths and injuries to children, the 

Smithtown Fire Department decided to apply for a Fire Prevention and Safety Grant. 

The Smithtown Fire Department was awarded funding to purchase a fire safety 

trailer in 2008 to support their fire prevention initiatives. Utilizing this trailer, the 

Department created the Fire Safety Program as an educational outreach to teach 

children 15 and younger about environmental, weather, stranger, and fire safety 

issues. It has evolved into a wonderful partnership with surrounding communities 

and stakeholders as an educational tool that reaches all age groups. 

Since 2008, approximately 6,000 children and an additional 2,000 adults have 

benefited from the program funded by the FPS grant. The biggest success is when 

the safety messages result in saved lives.

On November 10, 2009, there was a home fire on 7th Avenue in Smithtown. The 

9-year old boy and his 7-year-old sister escaped through a window after hearing the 

smoke alarm. The young boy stated he had learned how to escape at his school when 

the Fire Department brought the Safety Trailer to his school for a presentation. 

The Safety Trailer travels to several surrounding counties to visit elementary schools, 

fairs, festivals, fire department open houses and other special events, like the one 

held at the Allen Safety Day.

Pre-K programs teach about exit drills and the sound of alarms. First and second 

graders also learn about Stop, Drop and Roll and calling 9-1-1. Third and fourth 

graders learn about kitchen safety and not touching firearms, in addition to all the 

things the younger children learn. Older children learn about weather safety and fire 

extinguishers. The curriculum is based on the State Curriculum and grade appropriate 

to each age group. This curriculum supports the effective teaching of safety practices 

and allows staff to emphasize points like going home and practicing with their 

parents.

All of these presentations are preceded by a community needs assessment to target 

parts of the safety presentation to risks that are relevant to the population in that 

specific geographic area.

5 Socioeconomic Factors and the Incidence of Fire, U.S. Fire Administration, FA 170, June 1997.

6 Education Resources Information Center website, www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED355044.pdf—Fire Safety: Protecting Our Children and Families. Hearing before 

the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, Second Session (August 11, 1992) ISBN 0-16-

039722-7
4-21

Sample Flyer
Sample Flyer

There are over 2,500 people 

who die in fires EVERY YEAR.

Over 80% of those deaths occurred at HOME.

but it doesn’t have to be that way, because....

Insert image 

of house fire

Insert image 

of house fire

THE FIRE TRAILER IS HERE!

Insert image of trailer

This interactive trailer was 

designed to travel throughout 

the city for use in teaching fire 

prevention and demonstrating 

what to do if a fire occurs.

Senior citizens and children under 

5 account for half of fire deaths 

in the U.S. The Fire Trailer can go 

to schools/pre-schools, senior 

centers, churches, and community 

events upon request teaching fire 

safety across the community.

If you are interested in the Fire Trailer coming to your community, 

please contact John Smith at 555-5555
4-23

Template for a Public Service Announcement
Template for a Public Service Announcement

Don’t Be Scared, Be Prepared

Voice of Reason: (beeping smoke alarm) When you hear the sound of a 

working smoke alarm in the middle of the night, it can frighten anyone, 

especially people with special needs.

For them it can be more than scary - it can be terrifying. 

Elderly Voice: What is that?! Oh my! There must be a fire!!! 

How am I going to get out of here?! (panic - muffled background, END 

beeping alarm)

Voice of Reason: When it comes to fire:

 Have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, in every 

bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and in the basement.

 Let your local fire department and building manager know about your 

special needs ahead of time. 

 Practice your fire escape plan twice a year with everyone in your home. 

Be sure to practice during the daytime and at night. 

Plan ahead for a fire emergency. Don’t be scared - be prepared. 

Announcer: The Fire Trailer can help you to BE PREPARED.

For more information, contact INSERT CONTACT INFORMATION.

A message from YOUR LOCAL FIRE STATION, FEMA, and the U.S. Fire 

Administration.
4-25

Sample Poster
Sample Poster

LOCAL FIRE STATION IS HAVING A KICK-OFF 

CELEBRATION TO UNVEIL THE ARRIVAL OF 

THE FIRE TRAILER TO OUR COMMUNITY.

(City, State) – Fire Station #1 received a grant that provided 

them with a Fire Trailer through FEMA and USFA.

Insert image of trailer

They plan to unveil the Fire Trailer to the community at the 

Kick-Off celebration scheduled for INSERT DATE outside the Fire 

Station. This will be an opportunity to see what the fire trailer is 

and how it will be used to help the community.

There will be games, contests, refreshments, music and 

fun for EVERYONE.
4-27

Tips for a Success Story
Tips for a Success Story 

A success story is a one or two-page document that focuses on the heart of your 

program and is used to promote your program strongly but briefly. The following 

are the criteria for a success story:

Title

Does the title:

1. Capture the attention of the reader? Y / N

2. Avoid acronyms? Y / N

3. Contain a verb? Y / N

Issue

Does the issue statement:

1. Have a strong lead sentence? Y / N

2. Provide local, regional, or state information about the issue? Y / N

3. Tie the burden (health, training, or threat) to a cost burden? Y / N

4. Specify the affected population? Y / N

5. Provide an emotional hook? Y / N

6. Present a clear, concise statement about a single issue? Y / N

Intervention

Does the intervention statement:

1. Have a strong lead sentence that transitions the issue section 

to the intervention section? Y / N

2. Identify who conducted the intervention? Y / N

3. Identify where and when the intervention occurred? Y / N

4. Specify the steps of the intervention? Y / N

Impact

Does the impact statement:

1. Give specific outcomes? (e.g., money saved, change in health 

outcomes, number of people affected) Y / N

2. Avoid broad, sweeping statements? Y / N

3. Provide conclusions that wrap up the story in a convincing manner? Y / N

General Formatting

Does the success story:

1. Avoid wordiness, passive language, and grammatical and spelling errors? Y / N

2. Use terms that are understood by a non-public-health audience? 

(avoids jargon) Y / N

3. Use one page if possible? Y / N

4. Use bullets where possible? Y / N

5. Include contact information? Y / N
EVALUATE

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 5-1

5

Evaluation helps you improve your program by 

identifying strengths and weaknesses in how 

your program addresses the fire safety needs of 

your community. While evaluation is listed as the 

final step in this Toolkit, your evaluation actually 

begins with planning in Step 1 and carries through 

to collecting information here in Step 6. 

An organized evaluation of your program can take 

a lot of time and effort, which is worthwhile since 

granting agencies require solid proof that they are 

funding programs that work.

You can evaluate your program by:

 Describe and collect information about your ongoing program activities.

 Looking at how your program has affected people’s behavior.

 Monitoring the incidence of fire-related injuries and deaths in your 

community (surveillance).

 Developing success stories.

 Determine evaluation 

measures

 Track program activity

 Analyze and report 

the data

Steps in Evaluation

This evaluation section is modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC) six-step evaluation framework. See Beyond the Basics in 

this section for more on each step.

Source: Adapted from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Framework for Evaluation and Public Health
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5

Program Activities 

Your first step in successfully tracking your education program is to evaluate 

your implementation process. Start by taking inventory of the number of 

programs offered and by measuring the outputs produced. For example, the 

number of classroom visits or smoke alarms installed would be key activities 

for which you should maintain careful records with trackable data. This 

information will help provide accountability to your department, community, 

and funding agencies.

Behavior Changes

How people change their behavior as a result of exposure to your program is 

one way you can evaluate its effectiveness. For example:

 Have they developed an escape plan and practiced it?

 Have they installed smoke alarms or tested alarms already installed?

 Have they eliminated fire hazards identified in your program?

You can gather this information with a survey of your program participants or 

by doing follow-up home inspections.

Evaluation...

 shows the effectiveness of a program, as well as areas of your program that may 

need improvement,

 encourages participation by fire personnel, and

 supports continuing funding for the program.

Surveillance

Monitoring the numbers of fire-related injuries and fatalities can provide a 

broader view of the success of fire safety education programs. The program 

may not be able to reduce the number of fires, but it can improve how well 

people respond to an emergency. You may find fewer injuries and deaths, and 

less property loss in your community.
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National Fire Incident Reporting System (NFIRS)

Using NFIRS, you can enter information about fires in your community, monitor trends over 

time, and seek out fire data from communities similar to yours and conduct comparisons. 

The NFIRS database can be used to answer questions about the nature and causes of 

injuries, deaths, and property loss resulting from fires.

Additional information about NFIRS can be found on the USFA website at www.usfa.fema.

gov/data/nfirs

Beyond the Basics

This section of the toolkit includes plenty of confidence-building information 

and materials to help you evaluate your program from start to finish.

Overview of CDC Evaluation Framework1

Overall effectiveness and impact of a program can be determined by program 

evaluation. CDC established a six-step evaluation framework:

1. Engage (work with stakeholders)

2. Describe the program (list out details)

3. Focus the evaluation design (write evaluation questions)

4. Gather credible evidence (collect data)

5. Justify conclusions (analyze data)

6. Ensure use and sharing of lessons learned (use

the results)

Each of the six steps is discussed below to assist 

your evaluation planning efforts. In order to assist 

those of you with mature fire safety education 

programs, each of the six steps from CDC’s 

evaluation framework is outlined in a detailed Steps 

in Evaluation Practice Chart to guide your planning 

process. The chart can be found in the Resources 

table at the end of this section.

1 Source: Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation. Program Evaluation Standards: How to Assess Evaluation of Educational 

Programs. 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1994.
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5

Breakdown of Evaluation Steps

1. Working with stakeholders

A successful evaluation begins with good planning and preparation. Identify 

who is going to use the evaluation results, and understand what each group of 

users expects to learn from the information gathered.

 Involve staff, service providers, and program participants in the design 

process to plan for obstacles and develop future plans for the results.

 Involve the end users of the evaluation data to encourage quality data 

collection.

Start by researching other programs that have worked and consider contacting 

the program directors to see if they would be willing to share their program 

information with you. 

Next, collect baseline data. Baseline data give you a starting point to see what 

the community or target group was like before you started your program. 

Example baseline data you could collect includes:

 How many home fire-related deaths and injuries occurred in your 

community before beginning your smoke alarm installation program?

 How many calls did your fire department respond to?

 How many homes had working smoke detectors?

Once you have the background information for your program evaluation, you 

will be prepared to start the recruitment of evaluation stakeholders.

Getting support

Your key stakeholders may be community members in your coalition, members 

of the community who have supported your program already, or completely 

new individuals or groups. Evaluation stakeholders are directly invested in the 

results of your evaluation. Those individuals could include the fire department 

chief, mayor, health department staff, legislators, funders, or community 

advocates.

Identifying who can help

Seeking help from experts is an excellent way to improve your evaluation 

efforts. Help is available from many sources, including the USFA, the NFPA, 

local teachers and college instructors, graduate students, public health officials, 

extension agents, mental health officials, and the state fire marshal’s office. Do 

not hesitate to seek out their guidance and input, as they may even help for 
Fire Safety Program Toolkit 5-5

EVALUATE

5

little or no cost. They will be able to help you determine what information 

you need to collect and how to collect it to best evaluate your program.

If you do not already have a contact with one of these sources, start out by 

contacting a community relations or public relations manager at a university 

or government office—describe the project you are working on, and he or 

she may be able to put you in touch with an expert. Additionally, one of your 

coalition members may be able to “donate” an evaluation expert to assist you 

or a university contact may be able to use your program evaluation as a class 

project for students. The key is to be open and creative when looking for 

evaluation assistance.

2. Describing your program

Start by taking a look back at your program plan, which you developed back 

in section 3. As a reminder, the five parts of program planning are: 

Program Goal Expected 

Outcomes Activities Outputs Inputs

Goal of your 

program 

based on 

needs of your 

community

Measures 

of program 

success

The tasks and 

activities you 

plan to help 

you reach your 

goal

The materials 

delivered 

and services 

provided by 

your program

Resources 

needed to 

support your 

program

At this point, you will want to take a look at anything that may have changed 

since you began the planning process, such as changes in funding, staffing, 

etc., that could potentially impact the evaluation process.

3. Identifying questions for evaluation of your program

What would your stakeholders want to know about your program’s progress 

and its success, and what would they do with that information?

Key Stakeholder2 What do they want to know? What do they intend to do with 

the information? 

City government Is the strategy reaching the 

intended audience? 

Is it effective? 

Determine if adjustments to the 

strategy need to be made. 

2 Source: Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC). UCLA School of Public Health. A Guidebook to Strategy Evaluation: 

Evaluating Your City’s Approach to Community Safety and Youth Violence Prevention. June 2008. www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/Evaluation_

Guidebook_July08.pdf
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5

Key Stakeholder2 What do they want to know? What do they intend to do with 

the information? 

Funding agency Is the program cost-effective? Obtain more funding. 

Develop appropriate budgets. 

Allocate resources fairly. 

Community 

members 

Is the strategy resulting 

in positive change in the 

community? 

Is the strategy making the 

community feel safer? 

Determine whether or not the 

expected changes are occurring. 

Address challenges in reaching 

objectives. 

Choosing evaluation measures

Defining appropriate questions to be asked in an evaluation requires a 

thorough understanding of the intent of the program. For each question you 

need to choose those measures, or indicators, that best assess your program’s 

outcomes. 

An EVALUATION MEASURE can be used to track your program’s 

progress.

Let’s use an example to illustrate the process you would take if you were 

evaluating a smoke alarm installation program. This program has an overall 

goal of reducing home fire casualties in the community.

Evaluation Question Evaluation Measures Data Source

Is the program reaching the 

intended audience?

Short-term: Regular 

meetings of partners

Program records

Long-term: Increase in 

number of homes with 

working smoke alarms

Community household 

surveys (before and after 

the program, or after the 

program only)

2 Source: Southern California Injury Prevention Research Center (SCIPRC). UCLA School of Public Health. A Guidebook to Strategy Evaluation: 

Evaluating Your City’s Approach to Community Safety and Youth Violence Prevention. June 2008. www.ph.ucla.edu/sciprc/pdf/Evaluation_

Guidebook_July08.pdf
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Evaluation Question Evaluation Measures Data Source

Is the program educating 

the intended audience 

about the importance of 

smoke alarms?

Short-term: Increase in 

community support and 

media coverage

Requests from the public 

for programs; stories in the 

media

Long-term: Change in 

knowledge of smoke alarm 

prevention education

Surveys (opinion)

Was there a reduction in 

home fire injuries or deaths 

as a result of the program?

Short-term: Decrease in 

risk factors for preventable 

home fire casualties

Surveys and inspections

Long-term: Decrease in 

home fire casualties in 

community.

Incident data

Using a logic model helps not only to to illustrate the program visually but 

also to break out the measures of success you will use for each program 

activity (see sample in the Trailer Curriculum Program: Evaluation Plan 

Template or the Logic Model Template found in the Resource table). Think 

about information you can collect:

 while the program is still underway (process evaluation) as feedback 

comes in and

 that documents program success (impact/outcome evaluation).

Process Evaluation Impact/Outcome Evaluation

Documents the degree to which the 

program was implemented according to the 

plan. A few measures you could use include:

 Number of community members 

reached by your program.

 Distribution rates for program materials.

 Quality of new partnerships as a result 

of the program.

 Percent of targeted population reached 

by program.

 Meeting timeline for program 

implementation.

Designed to assess program effectiveness 

through documented change (e.g., behavior 

change). Some examples of outcome 

measure include:

 Comparing baseline statistics for 

program participation with postprogram data.

 Measuring awareness/reach of your 

program.

 Qualitative measures such as asking 

program participants to comment on 

their experience with the program and 

how it may/may not have changed their 

behavior.
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5-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

5

To determine if your program is doing well, first check it against the purpose, 

goals, and objectives that you established for your program. For example, 

suppose that the purpose of your program is to increase knowledge of home 

fire dangers among elementary school children and your goal is to visit all 1st 

and 2nd grades in your local school district. A simple way to evaluate whether 

you met your goal would be to keep track of the 1st and 2nd grades you visit 

and the number of students who received the program.

Next, evaluate how well your messages were received. The simplest way of 

doing this is to ask your audience what they have learned, if anything was 

unclear, and if they have any questions. For example, after a presentation, you 

could:

 Ask participants for a show of hands regarding their overall 

understanding of fire safety as a result of the presentation (e.g., “Much 

better than before,” “A little better than before,” “No different,” etc.)—

this is sometimes called “self reporting.”

 Ask participants for a show of hands regarding whether they liked the 

program or not, or liked it (or not) in comparison to another fire safety 

program they participated in.

 Assess for yourself how well participants performed in particular parts 

of the presentation (e.g., how well they performed “Stop, Drop and 

Roll” or answered questions about fire safety topics).

 Note your impressions of how the presentation ran (see Presentation 

Evaluation Tool and Presentation Feedback Form in the resources 

table at the end of this section) and any suggestions for things you 

might have done differently; then meet with other people doing 

presentations to exchange ideas on possible improvements to the 

program.

 Follow up with teachers or administrators and staff where you 

presented and get feedback on how well the program was received and 

whether there is ongoing interest in the topics raised.

Find out if you are getting your message across by measurement of change 

in knowledge for your participants. One 

way to do this is to give a short survey 

(pre-test) at the start of your program 

and then give the same survey (posttest) immediately after you finish your 

program. The results of these tests can 

tell you:

A test given immediately after the 

program provides a quick check of 

learning.
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5

 what people already know,

 misconceptions they may have that can get in 

the way of receiving your message, and

 which topics covered by your program 

need to be stressed more.

However, if you can, arrange with teachers 

or staff of organizations where you have 

presented to give another post-test one to 

two months after your program. This will tell 

you whether your fire safety message “stuck” 

and identify topics that need additional stress 

and areas where you need to change your 

approach.

Several tools for tracking program activity 

(Protocol Checklist, Session Log, Sample Activity 

Tracking) and obtaining feedback (Teacher/Aid 

Feedback Form, Sample Pre/Post tests) that you can adapt for evaluating 

your program are also included in the Resources table at the end of this 

section.

4. Collecting data

Once you have written evaluation questions for your program and decided 

how to measure program success, you should develop a list of items you will 

measure over time. Data about your program such as the following can be 

tracked on a spreadsheet.

 Home fire-related deaths and injuries.

 Fire-related calls.

 Number of homes with working smoke detectors.

The most commonly used methods of collecting program evaluation data are 

the following:

Method Purpose

Program Data Look for trends and areas of weakness/success within your 

community’s program by comparison of current data on your 

program activities to that from previous years.
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Method Purpose

Surveys Measure a change in knowledge or to collect general information; 

conduct before and/or after a program. Quick and easy to gather a lot 

of information.

Interviews Explore answers to questions through probing questions from 

participants or community stakeholders.

Literature 

Review

Find trends to help focus your program evaluation by looking in 

professional publications for existing data and statistics.

Focus Groups Collect data about key topics with a small sampling of the target 

audience to allow for in-depth discussion.

Next, track your program activities and measure the outcomes/results they 

produce. A sample spreadsheet follows: 

Sample Fire Department Activities and Outcomes Spreadsheet

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Total Education Programs 4 5 3 4 10 22

School-Based 1 2 2 2 6 10

General Population 3 2 1 2 2 9

Older Adults 0 1 0 0 2 3

Total Smoke Alarm Installation Visits 15 10 7 20 52 125

Total Structure Fires 18 21 19 17 15 16

Total Fire Losses ($1,000) 523 497 581 553 482 477

Total Civ Injuries 15 11 14 11 10 3

Total Civ Fatalities 5 6 4 4 3 0

Total Fire Service Injuries 6 5 6 4 6 2

Total Fire Service Fatalities 0 1 0 0 0 0

“There are several vital reasons we collect and disseminate 

fire data. Ultimately, we use this data to fight fire.3

”

—State Fire Marshal

3 News release, Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Feb. 24, 2012
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5. Analyzing data

You are well on your way to evaluating your program. Once the collection 

of program evaluation data is completed and you have all the information 

in hand, it can be overwhelming if you haven’t thought ahead about how it 

should be organized and compiled. Suggestions for how to handle your data 

include:

Quantitative Data (numerical data, statistics, etc.)

 Tabulate the information.

 Consider computing means or averages for each 

question (e.g., survey answers).

 Make comparisons to baseline statistics in your table 

and look for trends from year to year—analyze as 

charts or graphs.

Qualitative Data (interviews, participant comments, teacher feedback form, etc.)

 Read through all the data.

 Organize similar comments and themes into 

categories.

 Identify patterns that appear.

Data analysis and survey tools

The sheer amount of data that program evaluation produces can seem 

daunting at first glance. This template can serve as a planning tool for analysis 

of different types of information you have collected.

Type and source of 

Information

Qualitative or 

quantitative data?

Resources available 

to help analyze the 

information

Standard of 

comparison (e.g., 

before and after)
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Tabulate your results

The Percent Change Calculator at percent-change.com is a simple online tool 

that can assist you in analyzing the results of your program. The online 

website provides a formula that calculates percent change (an increase or 

decrease in something) so you can see the impact of your program on a 

particular behavior, change in knowledge, etc. For example, the fire data 

table below demonstrates how you can use this tool to report the impact of a 

program aimed at fire safety education for school-aged children in 2008:

Mount Smokey Fire Statistics, 2005-2010

Home Fire Deaths 2005-2007

Fire Safety Education Program

2008-2010 Percent Change

Age of Victim (Yrs) N N %

0–5 7 2 –71.4

6–9 3 0 –100

10–19 2 3 50

20–29 2 0 –100

30–39 5 6 20

40–49 4 2 –50

50–59 3 0 –100

60–69 5 6 20

70–79 6 3 –50

80–89 3 2 –33.3

90+ 1 0 –100

Source: Fictitious data, for illustration purposes only

There was a clear decrease in home fire deaths in the three years following 

the implementation of the Mount Smokey Fire Safety Education Program 

in school-aged children, as well as residents aged 40–59 who most likely 

represent the parents of the school-aged children. This tool can also be useful 

when comparing pre-test and post-test data to show a change in knowledge by 

participants as a result of your program.

Online survey tools can also be a very cost-effective way for delivering surveys, 

collecting results, and then analyzing the results all through one centralized 

website. This method is a great option for collecting program-related data 

quickly and easily. Surveys can be created and printed for the traditional 

methods of paper and pencil, as well as linked to a website or emailed to 

participants. Most free survey websites also offer fee-based membership that 

provides additional options such as data storage, download and exporting data 
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5

into various formats, and the creation of data sharing sites—which can be very 

useful for grant funders to see real-time data. Listed below are a few examples 

of sites that provide online survey creation, data collection and analysis for 

free:

www.Kwiksurveys.com

www.Qualtrics.com

www.Surveygizmo.com

www.Surveymonkey.com

www.Zoomerang.com

Analyzing key informant interviews & focus group data

Qualitative evaluation sources generate a large amount of useful information, 

but you’ll need to be prepared to sort through it all. These are the general 

steps you should follow:

 Group the key words and phrases into several categories.

•	 Each category should have anywhere from three to ten key words or 

phrases.

•	 All comments and phrases should fit into at least one category.

•	 Some comments may have several key words that fit into different 

categories.

 Categorize key words for a central theme and general sentiment 

(positive, negative, neutral, suggestion).

 Interpret the findings. After the key words and phrases have been 

grouped into categories, central themes and issues will emerge.

 Assess the priority level of each theme. Then you can make decisions 

about your fire safety education programming.

6. Using the results

Once you have the results of your program in front of you, your next step is 

deciding what to do with the information. One consideration is your audience. 

You should know what method your audience would prefer for dissemination 

of the results of your program. The table below breaks out several types of 

reporting along with examples of the intended audience for each:
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Type of Reporting Description Audience

Technical reports Detailed report on a single issue, 

such as a small study with one or 

two sample groups. 

Funding agencies, program 

administrators, advisory 

committee

Newsletters, 

opinion pieces in 

newspapers 

Written with the target audience 

of the medium in mind. Some 

magazines and papers target 

specific populations. Focuses on 

two or three quick points. 

Program administrators, 

board members and trustees, 

program staff, political 

bodies, community groups, 

organizations interested in 

program content

News release and/or 

press conference 

Gathering with the media with 

the purpose of releasing specific 

information and findings. 

Program administrators, the 

media, wide distribution of 

simplified information

Staff workshop An interactive presentation for 

your group, coalition staff, and 

volunteers. 

Program administrators, 

program staff, program service 

providers

Personal discussion Sitting face-to-face to discuss 

evaluation findings with an 

individual or small group. 

Funding agencies, program 

administrators, program staff, 

program service providers

Public meeting A gathering open to the public 

where more general evaluation 

findings are released in a clear 

and simple manner. Usually time 

is set aside for open discussion. 

Community groups, current 

clients, the media

Professional Fire 

Service Publication

Detailed article focusing on 

a specific topic written for a 

professional audience.

Program administrators, 

program staff, program service 

providers, professional fire 

safety educators

After the data are compiled, and you know who your intended audience is for 

your report, it is time to sum up your findings. If submitting an evaluation 

report to your grant agency, be sure to find out the specific requirements for 

the report. The summary of findings should always include:

1. Program Background & Objectives.

2. Methods—How you obtained your information.

3. Results—What you learned from your evaluation data sources.

4. Recommendations—How you might improve your program.

A Trailer Curriculum Program: Evaluation Plan Template is included in the 
Fire Safety Program Toolkit 5-15

EVALUATE

5

resources table at the end of this section to provide you with an example of 

what an evaluation plan could look like for a Fire Safety Trailer program.

Reminders for Evaluation

 Don’t shy away from evaluation because it seems too involved or 

“scientific.”

 There is no “perfect” evaluation design. Don’t worry about the plan 

being perfect. It’s much more important to do something, than to wait 

until every last detail has been tested.

 Try to include some interviews in your evaluation plan. Questionnaires 

don’t capture “the story,” and the story is usually the most powerful 

depiction of the benefits of your services.

 Don’t interview just the successes. You’ll learn a great deal about the 

program by understanding its failures, problems, dropouts, etc.

 Don’t throw away evaluation results once a report has been generated. 

Results don’t take up much room, and they can provide details later 

when trying to understand changes in the program or when writing a 

grant proposal for future funding.

More Information

Other resources that you can use to learn more about evaluating your program 

include:

 Introduction to Program Evaluation for Public Health Programs: A 

Self-Study Guide. This document is a “how to” guide based on CDC’s 

Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, and is intended to 

assist public health programs in planning, designing, implementing, 

and using the results of comprehensive evaluations. 

www.cdc.gov/getsmart/program-planner/Introduction.pdf

 Framework for program evaluation in public health. MMWR, 

Recommendations and Reports, 17 September 1999, 48(RR11);1-40. 

www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr4811a1.htm

 Public Fire Education Planning: A Five Step Process, U.S. Fire 

Administration. 

https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications

 National Fire Incident Reporting System. 

www.usfa.fema.gov/data/nfirs
EVALUATE

5-16 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

5

 How to Develop a Success Story, Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention. www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/stories/pdf/howto_create_

success_story.pdf

 Getting To OutcomesTM 2004: Promoting Accountability Through 

Methods and Tools for Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation, Rand 

Corporation. www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR101.html

 USFA Fire Data Analysis Handbook provides the next level of data 

analysis in a short handbook designed to assist departments in 

collecting valuable data about their community. 

https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications

 Conducting Focus Groups—Tools and guides to assist you in planning 

and conducting a focus group. ctb.ku.edu

 Create A Graph. National Center for Educational Statistics—Online 

data tool that allows the user to plug in data and create various 

downloadable charts and figures for use within reports and 

presentations. nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

5–19 Steps in Evaluation Practice Chart Evaluation matrix that breaks out the 

steps of evaluation in greater detail for 

developing your evaluation plan.

5–25 Presentation Evaluation Tool This tool encourages you to strengthen 

your teaching and communication 

skills by assessing the success of your 

presentation.

5–29 Presentation Feedback Form This tool will help you determine how 

effective your program was with your 

audience. It can be modified to suit your 

presentation.

5–33 Protocol Checklist This is a sample checklist that can be 

used when setting up your program 

or presentation to ensure you have 

completed all required steps.
Fire Safety Program Toolkit 5-17

EVALUATE

5

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

5–35 Session Log A form developed to assist presenters 

with key information that should be 

recorded for evaluation and tracking 

purposes. It also helps with scheduling of 

future events.

5–37 Sample Activity Tracking Sheet A sample template that can be used to 

track fire prevention activities hosted 

throughout the calendar year.

5–39 Teacher/Aid Feedback Form A simple tool that can collect feedback on 

how well a presentation was received by 

the intended audience. It will help you 

determine what areas need improvement.

5–43 Sample Pre/Post Tests Sample pre/post tests for various age 

groups that can be modified to suit your 

presentation. These tests are geared 

to collect information on a change in 

knowledge following your program.

5–65 Trailer Curriculum Program: 

Evaluation Plan Template

The template is designed to help Trailer 

Curriculum funded programs develop 

an evaluation plan and was created by 

using the CDC Framework for Program 

Evaluation in Public Health (CDC 

Evaluation Framework).
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5-19

Steps in Evaluation Practice Chart
Steps in Evaluation Practice Chart

Steps in 

Evaluation 

Practice

Relevant Standards Groups

Engaging stakeholders

Stakeholder Identification: Persons who are involved in or are 

affected by the evaluation should be identified, so that their needs can 

be addressed.

Utility

Evaluator Credibility: The persons conducting the evaluation 

should be both trustworthy and competent to perform the evaluation, 

so that the evaluation findings achieve maximum credibility and 

acceptance.

Utility

Formal Agreements: Obligations of the formal parties to an 

evaluation (what is to be done, how, by whom, when) should be 

agreed to in writing, so that these parties are obligated to adhere to all 

conditions of the agreement or formally to renegotiate it.

Propriety

Rights of Human Subjects: Evaluations should be designed 

and conducted to respect and protect the rights and welfare of human 

subjects.

Propriety

Human Interactions: Evaluators should respect human dignity 

and worth in their interactions with other persons associated with an 

evaluation, so that participants are not threatened or harmed.

Propriety

Conflict of Interest: Conflict of interest should be dealt with 

openly and honestly, so that it does not compromise the evaluation 

processes and results.

Propriety

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy

Describing the program

Complete and Fair Assessment: The evaluation should be 

complete and fair in its examination and recording of strengths and 

weaknesses of the program being evaluated, so that strengths can be 

built upon and problem areas addressed.

Propriety

Program Documentation: The program being evaluated 

should be described and documented clearly and accurately, so that the 

program is clearly identified.

Accuracy

Context Analysis: The context in which the program exists should 

be examined in enough detail, so that its likely influences on the 

program can be identified.

Accuracy

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy
Steps in 

Evaluation 

Practice

Relevant Standards Groups

Focusing the evaluation design

Evaluation Impact: Evaluations should be planned, conducted, 

and reported in ways that encourage follow-through by stakeholders, so 

that the likelihood that the evaluation will be used is increased.

Utility

Practical Procedures: The evaluation procedures should be 

practical; to keep disruption to a minimum while needed information is 

obtained. 

Feasibility

Political Viability: The evaluation should be planned and 

conducted with anticipation of the different positions of various interest 

groups, so that their cooperation may be obtained, and so that possible 

attempts by any of these groups to curtail evaluation operations or to 

bias or misapply the results can be averted or counter-acted.

Feasibility

Cost Effectiveness: The evaluation should be efficient and 

produce information of sufficient value, so that the resources expended 

can be justified.

Feasibility

Service Orientation: Evaluations should be designed to assist 

organizations to address and effectively serve the needs of the full range 

of targeted participants. 

Propriety

Complete and Fair Assessment: The evaluation should be 

complete and fair in its examination and recording of strengths and 

weaknesses of the program being evaluated, so that strengths can be 

built upon and problem areas addressed.

Propriety

Fiscal Responsibility: The evaluator’s allocation and expenditure 

of resources should reflect sound accountability procedures and 

otherwise be prudent and ethically responsible, so that expenditures are 

accounted for and appropriate.

Propriety

Described Purposes and Procedures: The purposes and 

procedures of the evaluation should be monitored and described in 

enough detail, so that they can be identified and assessed.

Accuracy

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy
Steps in 

Evaluation 

Practice

Relevant Standards Groups

Gathering credible evidence

Information Scope and Selection: Information collected 

should be broadly selected to address pertinent questions about the 

program and be responsive to the needs and interests of clients and 

other specified stakeholders.

Utility

Defensible Information Sources: The sources of information 

used in a program evaluation should be described in enough detail, so 

that the adequacy of the information can be assessed.

Accuracy

Valid Information: The information-gathering procedures should 

be chosen or developed and then implemented so that they will assure 

that the interpretation arrived at is valid for the intended use. 

Accuracy

Reliable Information: The information-gathering procedures 

should be chosen or developed and then implemented so that they 

will assure that the information obtained is sufficiently reliable for the 

intended use.

Accuracy

Systematic Information: The information collected, processed, 

and reported in an evaluation should be systematically reviewed, and 

any errors found should be corrected.

Accuracy

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy

Justifying conclusion

Values Identification: The perspectives, procedures, and 

rationale used to interpret the findings should be carefully described, so 

that the bases for value judgments are clear. 

Utility

Analysis of Quantitative Information: Quantitative 

information in an evaluation should be appropriately and systematically 

analyzed so that evaluation questions are effectively answered.

Accuracy

Analysis of Qualitative Information: Qualitative information 

in an evaluation should be appropriately and systematically analyzed so 

that evaluation questions are effectively answered.

Accuracy

Justified Conclusions: The conclusions reached in an evaluation 

should be explicitly justified, so that stakeholders can assess them. Accuracy

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy
Steps in 

Evaluation 

Practice

Relevant Standards Groups

Ensuring use and sharing lessons learned

Evaluator Credibility: The persons conducting the evaluation 

should be both trustworthy and competent to perform the evaluation, 

so that the evaluation findings achieve maximum credibility and 

acceptance.

Utility

Report Clarity: Evaluation reports should clearly describe the 

program being evaluated, including its context, and the purposes, 

procedures, and findings of the evaluation, so that essential information 

is provided and easily understood.

Utility

Report Timeliness and Dissemination: Significant interim 

findings and evaluation reports should be disseminated to intended 

users, so that they can be used in a timely fashion.

Utility

Evaluation Impact: Evaluations should be planned, conducted, 

and reported in ways that encourage follow-through by stakeholders, so 

that the likelihood that the evaluation will be used is increased.

Utility

Disclosure of Findings: The formal parties to an evaluation 

should ensure that the full set of evaluation findings along with 

pertinent limitations are made accessible to the persons affected by 

the evaluation and any others with expressed legal rights to receive the 

results.

Propriety

Impartial Reporting: Reporting procedures should guard against 

distortion caused by personal feelings and biases of any party to the 

evaluation, so that evaluation reports fairly reflect the evaluation 

findings.

Accuracy

Metaevaluation: The evaluation itself should be formatively and 

summatively evaluated against these and other pertinent standards, 

so that its conduct is appropriately guided and, on completion, 

stakeholders can closely examine its strengths and weaknesses.

Accuracy

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Framework for Program 

Evaluation in Public Health. MMWR Recommendations and Reports, September 17, 

1999 / 48(RR11);1-40
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5-25

Presentation Evaluation Tool
Presentation Evaluation Tool

Name: ___________________________________________________________________________

Event or Program:_________________________________________________________________

Date/Location: ___________________________________________________________________

Length of Program: ____________________________ # of Participants (if applicable): ______

Topics Taught ____________________________________________________________________

Target Group for Activity/Program (check all that apply):

q Public School District

q Private School

q Community Group

q Pre-K & Kindergarten

q 1st & 2nd Grade

q 3rd & 4th Grade

q 5th & 6th Grade

q Middle School

q High School

q Adults

q Older Adults

q Other ______________

Audience Reaction

Check off the degree in which participants were engaged in the presentation: 

q Very engaged 

q Somewhat engaged

q A little engaged

q Not at all engaged

Indicate how participants behaved during the presentation (check all that apply):

q Responded to instructions

q Wandered about the room

q Interested in props

q Blank expressions/head down

q Asked/answered questions

q Talked during presentation

q Other _____________________

Did participants appear frightened or bothered by the presentation? q Yes q No 

If Yes, please comment: _____________________________________________________

Learning Assessment

Check off topics learned during the presentation: (ask students for a show of hands—

who knew _____ before the presentation and who knew _____ after the presentation 

for each lesson taught. Good time to review key points for each lesson.)

Lesson Topic # Participants who knew 

the info

# Participants who learned 

new info

Testing smoke alarms

Escape plan

Cooking safety

Get out and stay out

Science of fire
Check off yes or no below. If yes, please provide more details in the space indicated.

Additional Feedback Yes No If Yes, please describe:

Did participants practice fire safety skills?

Are there plans to reinforce messages after 

the session? (follow-up visit, survey, etc.)

Were follow-up materials distributed?

Was there any media coverage for this 

event?

Final thoughts:

How will you improve future lessons, based on what you have learned today? 

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Provide an overview of the lesson presented, materials used, preparations made, 

layout of the facility, etc. to help with future planning.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________
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5-29

Presentation Feedback Form
Presentation Feedback Form

Please take a few moments to provide some feedback on the presentation you just 

heard. We will use your comments and suggestions to improve future presentations. 

1. Please read each statement below and then check off the extent to which you 

agree or disagree.

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly Agree

The presentation was well organized q q q q

The instructor was well prepared q q q q

The instructor answered my questions q q q q

I would recommend this presentation 

to a friend or family member q q q q

2. Please take a moment to think about your awareness of fire-related risks before 

and after the presentation and then check off the extent to which you agree or 

disagree.

Before the presentation, 

I can...

After the presentation, 

I can...

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

q q q q Name the three main causes of 

fires among adults q q q q

q q q q State what to do if a pan of food 

caught fire in my kitchen q q q q

q q q q

Indicate the appropriate 

clothing to wear while cooking 

(e.g., short, close-fitting or 

tightly rolled sleeves)

q q q q

q q q q Identify two ways out of every 

room in my home q q q q

3. Please assess your cooking-related behaviors before the presentation and your 

intentions for the future.

Before the presentation, 

I can...

After the presentation, 

I can...

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

q q q q

Occasionally leave food 

unattended on the stove to 

answer the phone or the door

q q q q

q q q q Have a dishtowel placed near 

the stove while cooking q q q q
Before the presentation, 

I can...

After the presentation, 

I can...

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

Strongly 

Disagree Disagree Agree Strongly 

Agree

q q q q

Push the “hush” button when 

the smoke alarm sounds during 

normal cooking

q q q q

q q q q Practice my escape plan 

twice a year q q q q

4. Please complete some final thoughts below:

The most useful part of the presentation was:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

Something I would change to make the presentation better would be:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

I’d like to see future presentations on:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________
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5-33

Protocol Checklist
Protocol Checklist

Preparation

q Assign education team

q Contact partner site

q Set up date and time for session

q Ensure participation by sending a follow-up reminder 2 days before session 

with partner site

Gather all materials required for session

q Pre/post tests

q Board and markers for whole group activity

q Games and activities for tours

q Game and activities for demonstrations

q Games and activities for small group work

q Extenders/reinforcers

q Feedback forms for teachers/aids

q Session log

Implementation

q Administer pre-test

q Lead whole group problem-solving activity

q Conduct tour

q Conduct demonstration

q Conduct small group activity

q Lead whole group culmination activity

q Administer post-test

q Provide extenders/reinforcers

q Administer feedback forms to teachers/helpers/aids

q Complete session log

Wrap-up and follow-up

q Ensure all pre/post-tests and feedback forms are received back

q Follow-up with the site, thank them, and obtain any verbal feedback about 

impact of session
5-35

Session Log
Session Log

Date/time

Site name

Location

Name of person filling this out

Number of educators

Number of participants

Age group

Number of reinforcers provided 

Number of pre-tests completed 

Number of post-tests completed

Number of feedback forms completed 

1. Were there any barriers encountered while trying to prepare for, implement or 

wrap-up this session?

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

2. Please relate any lessons learned for future ideas and/or improvements for 

program development and implementation (what made this a success, or what 

would you do differently):

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________
5-37

Sample Activity Tracking Sheet 
Sample Activity Tracking Sheet 

Sample Fire Department

555 Smoke-Free Road

Safe Town, PA 00000

(555) 123-4567

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Safety Age Number of Date Activity Description/Location Messages Notes Group Participants Taught
5-39

Teacher/Aide Feedback Form
Teacher/Aide Feedback Form

Site Name: ________________________________________________________________

Participant age group _______________________________________________________

Number of sessions held at site so far_________________________________________

1. The purpose of the Fire Safety Trailer education session has been to increase 

awareness and knowledge about fire safety, as well as change attitudes, beliefs 

and behaviors around fire safety issues. Based on the feedback from your 

students/residents/group, how would you rate the success of our program in 

accomplishing these goals? (Comments can be provided on the lines)

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all successful) (Very successful)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

2. How would you rate the benefit of adding this fire safety education session to 

your organization’s overall program?

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all beneficial) (Very beneficial)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

3. How important do you feel it is for your students/residents/group to receive fire 

safety education?

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all important) (Very important)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

4. How would you rate the level of burden that implementing the session imposed 

on you?

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all burdensome) (Very burdensome)
 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

5. Were there any barriers to implementing this session?

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

6. Are there any suggestions for how we may make these sessions easier for partner 

sites?

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

7. How would you rate the ease of working with our education staff?

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all easy) (Very easy)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

8. How would you rate the professionalism of our education staff?

0 1 2 3 4 5

(Not at all professional) (Very professional)

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

9. Comments/Further suggestions:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________
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5-43

Sample Pre-Test/Post-Test for Young Children
Sample Pre-Test/Post-Test for Young Children

Pre/Post tests for young children (kindergarten to 5th grade)

(Adapted from the ‘Fire Safety Together’ curriculum developed by the Texas Fire 

Marshal’s Office and the Texas Department of Insurance)

Read each question aloud and instruct the students to fill in the bubble on the 

appropriate picture on the test sheet.

1. If you were to phone for help about a fire, who would you call first? Fill in the 

bubble on the left picture if you would call your mom or dad. Fill in the bubble 

on the right picture if you would call the fire service.

2. How can you help every member of your family get out of a burning house 

quickly and safely? Fill in the bubble on the left picture if the answer is an 

escape plan. Fill in the bubble on the right picture if the answer is roller skates.

3. Some adults smoke cigarettes. What should you do if someone you know smokes? 

Fill in the bubble on the left picture if it’s okay to let an adult smoke in bed. Fill 

in the bubble on the right picture if you should always stay away from cigarettes.

4. What should you do if you see matches? Fill in the bubble on the left picture if 

you should pick up the matches. Fill in the bubble on the right picture if you 

should just tell an adult, so she can put the matches away.

5. There’s a special kind of sign that shows you the exit, or the way out in case of 

fire. Fill in the bubble on the left picture if it’s that sign. Fill in the bubble on the 

right picture if that sign shows you the exit.

6. If you see smoke coming from a building, what should you do? Fill in the bubble 

on the left picture if you should go see what is happening. Fill in the bubble on 

the right picture if you should tell an adult right away.

7. What is the first thing you should do if fire gets on your clothes? Fill in the bubble 

on the left picture if you should run for help. Fill in the bubble on the right 

picture if you should drop to the ground and roll over and over.

8. Pretend that you are sleeping and you wake up to hear the smoke alarm in your 

house. What should you do? Fill in the bubble on the left picture if you should 

crawl out of the house. Fill in the bubble on the right picture if you should go see 

if there is a fire.

Scoring:

The number of correct answers over the total number of questions multiplied by 100 

will equal percentage correct.

[(number of correct responses) / 8] X 100 = percentage correct
Name _____________________________________________________________________

Grade: ____________________________________________________________________

PRE-TEST________________________ POST-TEST ______________________________

1.

° °

2.

° °

3.

° ° °

4.

°
5.

° °

??? 6.

° °

7.

° °

8.

° °
5-47

Fire Safety Questionnaire for Adolescents
Fire Safety Questionnaire for Adolescents

1. If fire gets on your clothes, what should you do?

a. Stop, Drop and Roll

b. Run for help

c. Jump up and down

d. Stand still and wait for rain

2. If the smoke alarm in your home begins to sound, what should you do?

a. Put on ear muffs

b. Pull out the batteries

c. Turn up the volume of the TV

d. Go to an exit, leave the house and go to your meeting place

3. If you find a cigarette lighter or some matches, what should you do?

a. Leave them alone and tell a grown-up to put them away in a safe place

b. Dig a hole and bury them

c. Do a rain dance

d. Toss them into a pond

4. If you are in the kitchen while someone is cooking and you see a pot handle 

hanging out over the edge of the stove, you should?

a. Take the pot off the stove

b. Tell the adult to turn the handle so nobody will accidentally bump into it or 

reach up for it, which could cause a burn injury.

c. Leave the kitchen and don’t say anything

d. Turn off the stove

5. Do you have a written home fire escape plan? 

a. Yes 

b. No

PRE-TEST
6. When should you and your family practice “Fire Escape Drills” at your house?

a. Only in October

b. Only if you are planning to have a fire

c. At least twice a year

d. Never

7. During a fire, what should you do before opening any closed door?

a. Knock to see if anybody’s home

b. Check the door for heat with the back of your hand

c. Kick the door down

d. Huff and puff and blow the door in

8. What should you do if you see any smoke while you are leaving a building?

a. Run through the smoke

b. Look for a big fan

c. Use an umbrella

d. Drop to your knees and crawl below the smoke, where the good air is

9. If you see a fire or other emergency, you can get help quickly by?

a. Calling 9-1-1

b. Sending smoke signals

c. Writing a letter

d. Putting an ad in the newspaper

10. Why do firefighters wear all those heavy clothes and masks?

a. They think every day is Halloween

b. To scare the crows away from the corn

c. They have nothing else to wear

d. To protect them from heat and smoke

11. When your family is planning your first and second exits for your home fire 

escape plan, you have to make sure that.....?

a. You know at least two ways out of each room in your house

b. You leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find your way out
c. You paint a stripe on the floor to follow

d. Set up traffic cones, barrels and flashing lights

12. When burning candles, which rules should you always follow?

a. Burn candles inside a circle of safety, a one-foot area around the candle free of 

anything that can burn

b. Keep out of reach of children and pets

c. When you’re out, blow out; never leave candles burning in a room unattended

d. All of the above

13. Which of the following is an unsafe practice when burning candles?

a. Candles should always be burned on a sturdy surface

b. Candles can be burned on or near your Christmas tree or holiday decorations

c. Candles should be burned out of the reach of children and pets

d. Candles should not be burned near curtains or other materials that may move

14. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home? 

a. Yes 

b. No 

Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1-4, 6-11

Attitude 5

Belief 12-14

Behavior 9
Fire Safety Questionnaire for Adolescents

1. If fire gets on your clothes, what should you do?

a. Stop, Drop and Roll

b. Run for help

c. Jump up and down

d. Stand still and wait for rain

2. If the smoke alarm in your home begins to sound, what should you do?

a. Put on ear muffs

b. Pull out the batteries

c. Turn up the volume of the TV

d. Go to an exit, leave the house and go to your meeting place

3. If you find a cigarette lighter or some matches, what should you do?

a. Leave them alone and tell a grown-up to put them away in a safe place

b. Dig a hole and bury them

c. Do a rain dance

d. Toss them into a pond

4. If you are in the kitchen while someone is cooking and you see a pot handle 

hanging out over the edge of the stove, you should?

a. Take the pot off the stove

b. Tell the adult to turn the handle so nobody will accidentally bump into it or 

reach up for it, which could cause a burn injury

c. Leave the kitchen and don’t say anything

d. Turn off the stove

5. Do you have a written home fire escape plan? 

a. Yes 

b. No 

POST-TEST
6. When should you and your family practice “Fire Escape Drills” at your house?

a. Only in October

b. Only if you are planning to have a fire

c. At least twice a year

d. Never

7. During a fire, what should you do before opening any closed door?

a. Knock to see if anybody’s home

b. Check the door for heat with the back of your hand

c. Kick the door down

d. Huff and puff and blow the door in

8. What should you do if you see any smoke while you are leaving a building?

a. Run through the smoke

b. Look for a big fan

c. Use an umbrella

d. Drop to your knees and crawl below the smoke, where the good air is

9. If you see a fire or other emergency, you can get help quickly by?

a. Calling 9-1-1

b. Sending smoke signals

c. Writing a letter

d. Putting an ad in the newspaper

10. Why do firefighters wear all those heavy clothes and masks?

a. They think every day is Trick or Treat

b. To scare the crows away from the corn

c. They have nothing else to wear

d. To protect them from heat and smoke

11. When your family is planning your first and second exits for your home fire 

escape plan, you have to make sure that.....?

a. You know at least two ways out of each room in your house

b. You leave a trail of breadcrumbs to find your way out
c. You paint a stripe on the floor to follow

d. Set up traffic cones, barrels and flashing lights

12. When burning candles, which rules should you always follow?

a. Burn candles inside a circle of safety, a one-foot area around the candle free of 

anything that can burn

b. Keep out of reach of children and pets

c. When you’re out, blow out; never leave candles burning in a room unattended

d. All of the above

13. Which of the following is an unsafe practice when burning candles?

a. Candles should always be burned on a sturdy surface

b. Candles can be burned on or near your Christmas tree or holiday decorations

c. Candles should be burned out of the reach of children and pets

d. Candles should not be burned near curtains or other materials that may move

14. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home? 

a. Yes 

b. No 

15. What would you like to be added to the session?

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1-4, 6-11

Attitude 5

Belief 12-14

Behavior 9
PRE-TEST

Fire Safety Questionnaire for Adults

Smoke alarm

1. Do you have smoke alarms in your home?

q Yes q No 

2. Do you test them once a month?

q Yes q No 

3. Do you change the batteries at least once a year?

q Yes q No 

4. Do you unplug or remove the battery from your smoke alarm when you cook to 

silence it or prevent false alarms?

q Yes q No 

Fire Drills

5. Do you have a written home fire escape plan?

q Yes q No 

6. Do you have at least two exits out of each room?

q Yes q No 

7. Does everyone know where your designated family meeting 

place is once you are safely outside?

q Yes q No 

8. Do you and the members of your household practice a home 

fire drill at least twice a year?

q Yes q No 

Reactions to Fire

9. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home?

q Yes q No 

10. Have you ever had a fire at your home?

q Yes q No 

11. Did you report the fire to the fire department?

q Yes q No 

12. If you had a fire but did not report it, which response is most accurate?

a. It was only a small fire

b. I did not want to bother the fire department
c. No one was injured

d. There was no damage

13. What type of fire did you have?

a. Cooking

b. Electrical wires or plugs

c. Candle

d. Smoking related

e. Heating system, furnace, fireplace, chimney

14. What is the first thing you should do if fire gets on your clothes? 

a. Run to the door

b. Stop, Drop and Roll

c. Run to a sink for water

d. Stand still and scream

15. If the room is full of smoke what should you do first?

a. Run outside

b. Hide in the corner until the smoke goes away

c. Close your eyes and block your nose

d. Crawl low on the floor under the smoke towards a window or door

16. If you were to phone for help about a fire, whom would you call first?

a. Ambulance

b. Fire Service

c. Police

d. 9-1-1

Tobacco Use

17. Do you or does anyone else in your home smoke? 

q Yes q No 

18. Do you or does anyone else in your home smoke in bed? 

q Yes q No 
19. Have you or has anyone else in your home ever fallen 

asleep while smoking? 

q Yes q No 

20. Do you or does anyone in your home use a home or 

portable oxygen therapy system? 

q Yes q No 

21. Do you or does anyone in your home smoke while 

oxygen is in use? 

q Yes q No 

22. Is your home protected with a working 

Carbon Monoxide Detector? 

q Yes q No 

Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1, 6, 10, 13-17, 20, 22

Attitude 5

Belief 9, 12

Behavior 2-4, 8, 11, 18-19, 21
POST-TEST

Fire Safety Questionnaire for Adults

Smoke alarm

1. Do you have smoke alarms in your home? 

q Yes q No 

2. Do you test them once a month? 

q Yes q No 

3. Do you change the batteries at least once a year? 

q Yes q No 

4. Do you unplug your smoke alarm when you cook to silence 

it or prevent false alarms? 

q Yes q No 

Fire Drills

5. Do you have a written home fire escape plan? 

q Yes q No 

6. Do you have at least two exits out of each room? 

q Yes q No 

7. Does everyone know where your designated family meeting 

place is once you are safely outside? 

q Yes q No 

8. Do you and the members of your household practice a home 

fire drill at least twice a year? 

q Yes q No 

Reactions to Fire

9. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home? 

q Yes q No 

10. Have you ever had a fire at your home? 

q Yes q No 

11. Did you report the fire to the fire department? 

q Yes q No 

12. If you had a fire but did not report it, which response is most accurate?

a. It was only a small fire

b. I did not want to bother the fire department
c. No one was injured

d. There was no damage

13. What type of fire did you have?

a. Cooking

b. Electrical wires or plugs

c. Candle

d. Smoking related

e. Heating system, furnace, fireplace, chimney

14. What is the first thing you should do if fire gets on your clothes? 

a. Run to the door

b. Stop, Drop and Roll

c. Run to a sink for water

d. Stand still and scream

15. If the room is full of smoke what should you do first?

a. Run outside

b. Hide in the corner until the smoke goes away

c. Close your eyes and block your nose

d. Crawl low on the floor under the smoke towards a window or door

16. If you were to phone for help about a fire, whom would you call first?

a. Ambulance

b. Fire Service

c. Police

d. 9-1-1

Tobacco Use

17. Do you or does anyone else in your home smoke? 

q Yes q No 

18. Do you or does anyone else in your home smoke in bed? 

q Yes q No 
19. Have you or has anyone else in your home ever fallen 

asleep while smoking? 

q Yes q No 

20. Do you or does anyone in your home use a home or 

portable oxygen therapy system? 

q Yes q No 

21. Do you or does anyone in your home smoke while 

oxygen is in use? 

q Yes q No 

22. Is your home protected with a working 

Carbon Monoxide Detector? 

q Yes q No 

Follow Up

23. Will you be more likely to think about fire safety now that 

you have attended this session? 

q Yes q No

24. Is there something you would like to be added to the session:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1, 6, 10, 13-17, 20, 22

Attitude 5

Belief 9, 12

Behavior 2-4, 8, 11, 18-19, 21
Fire Safety Questionnaire for Older Adults

Smoke alarm

1. Do you have smoke alarms in your home?

q Yes q No 

2. Do you unplug or remove the battery from your smoke alarm when you cook to 

silence it or prevent false alarms?

q Yes q No 

Fire Drills

3. Do you have a written home fire escape plan?

q Yes q No 

4. Do you have at least two exits out of each room?

q Yes q No 

Reactions to Fire

5. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home?

q Yes q No 

6. What can lead to fire?

a. Cooking

b. Electrical wires or plugs

c. Candle

d. Heating system, furnace, fireplace, chimney

7. What is the first thing you should do if fire gets on your clothes?

a. Run to the door

b. Stop, Drop and Roll

c. Hide in a cupboard

d. Stand still and scream

8. If the room is full of smoke what should you do first?

a. Run outside

b. Hide in the corner until the smoke goes away

c. Close your eyes and block your nose

d. Crawl low on the floor under the smoke towards a window or door

PRE-TEST
9. If you were to phone for help about a fire, whom would you call first?

a. Ambulance

b. Fire Service

c. Police

d. 9-1-1

Tobacco Use

10. Do you or does anyone else in your home, smoke? 

q Yes q No 

11. Have you or has anyone else in your home ever fallen 

asleep while smoking? 

q Yes q No 

12. Do you or does anyone in your home use a home or 

portable oxygen therapy system? 

q Yes q No 

13. Do you or does anyone in your home smoke while 

oxygen is in use? 

q Yes q No 

Home Safety

14. Is your home protected with a working Carbon Monoxide Detector?

q Yes q No 

Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1, 4, 6-9, 10, 12, 14

Attitude 3

Belief 5

Behavior 2, 11, 13
Fire Safety Questionnaire for Older Adults

Smoke alarm

1. Do you have smoke alarms in your home? 

q Yes q No 

2. Do you unplug or remove the battery from your smoke alarm when you cook to 

silence it or prevent false alarms? 

q Yes q No 

Fire Drills

3. Do you have a written home fire escape plan? 

q Yes q No 

4. Do you have at least two exits out of each room? 

q Yes q No 

Reactions to Fire

5. Do you think about the possibility of fire in your home? 

q Yes q No 

6. What can lead to fire?

a. Cooking

b. Electrical wires or plugs

c. Candle

d. Heating system, furnace, fireplace, chimney

7. What is the first thing you should do if fire gets on your clothes?

a. Run to the door

b. Stop, Drop and Roll

c. Hide in a cupboard

d. Stand still and scream

8. If the room is full of smoke what should you do first?

a. Run outside

b. Hide in the corner until the smoke goes away

c. Close your eyes and block your nose

d. Crawl low on the floor under the smoke towards a window or door

POST-TEST
9. If you were to phone for help about a fire, whom would you call first?

a. Ambulance

b. Fire Service

c. Police

d. 9-1-1

Tobacco Use

10. Do you or does anyone else in your home, smoke? 

q Yes q No 

11. Have you or has anyone else in your home ever fallen 

asleep while smoking? 

q Yes q No 

12. Do you or does anyone in your home use a home or 

portable oxygen therapy system? 

q Yes q No 

13. Do you or does anyone in your home smoke while 

oxygen is in use? 

q Yes q No 

Home Safety

14. Is your home protected with a working Carbon Monoxide Detector?

q Yes q No 

Follow Up

15. Will you be more likely to think about fire safety now that 

you have attended this session? 

q Yes q No

16. Is there something you would like to be added to the session:

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________

 _______________________________________________________________________
Scoring Scale:

Categories Question Number Percent Correct

Knowledge 1, 4, 6-9, 10, 12, 14

Attitude 3

Belief 5

Behavior 2, 11, 13
5-65

Trailer Curriculum Program: Evaluation 

Plan Template
Trailer Curriculum Program: Evaluation Plan Template

The template is designed to help Trailer Curriculum funded programs develop 

an evaluation plan and was created by using the CDC Framework for Program 

Evaluation in Public Health (CDC Evaluation Framework), the CDC Guide to 

Developing a TB Program Evaluation Plan, the CDC’s WISEWOMAN program 

evaluation template, and the Workbook for Evaluation Planning from the Northwest 

Center for Public Health Practice at the School of Public Health and Community 

Medicine, University of Washington. This framework includes six steps:

Step 1: Engage Stakeholders

Step 2: Describe the Program

Step 3: Focus the Evaluation Design

Step 4: Gather Credible Evidence

Step 5: Justify Conclusions

Step 6: Ensure Use and Share Lessons Learned
•	 Understand need for the program

•	 Understand context of the program•	 Understand current programs and plans 

for integration of new curriculum

•	 Understand priority goals and 

objectives for the program

•	 Develop a logic model•	 Identify the stage or ‘maturity’ level of 

the program

•	 Articulate the purpose of the evaluation •	 Develop an overarching evaluation plan•	 Clarify roles and responsibilities

•	 Review program protocols and 

recommend changes

•	 Review evaluation plan and make changes•	 Submit abstracts and articles for 

publication

•	 Develop legislative briefs, success stories 

and other reports as needed

•	 Follow up with users and ensure 

recommendations are applied

•	 Agree upon standards with stakeholders•	 Evaluate program performance•	 Analyze qualitative and quantitative data•	 Report on outcomes, barriers and 

challenges

•	 Make recommendations for appropriate 

solutions

•	 Compare program outcomes and impact 

against selected standards

•	 Identify and define indicators•	 Identify sources for each indicator•	 Develop standardized data collection/abstraction protocols and tools•	 Abstract data from information systems•	 Collect new data•	 Ensure all information collected is valid, reliable, has power and is not 

burdensome

Ensure use and 

share lessons 

learned STANDARDS

Utility

Feasability

Propriety

Accuracy Justify 

conclusions

Gather credible 

Engage 

evidence

shareholders

Describe the 

program

Focus the 

evaluation 

design

•	 Identify stakeholders•	 Participate in conference calls and meetings 

with stakeholders

•	 Implement stakeholder and/or Advisory 

Committee recommendations

•	 Evaluate and continuously improve engagement 

process

STEPS

Evaluation Framework
Development of Trailer Curriculum Logic Model and Selection of 

Critical Evaluation Questions

INPUTS

•	 Funding•	 Leadership & staff•	 Evidence-based 

strategies and curriculum

•	 Equipment & 

supplies

•	 Facilities•	 Program partners•	 Program evaluation

ACTIVITIES

Program development•	 Provision of public advocacy for increased 

financial support

•	 Obtaining trailers using available grants•	 Development of age and culture appropriate 

fire safety trailer education curriculum including:

•	 Develop	teaching	strategies•	 Develop	trailer	guides	and	materials•	 Develop	marketing	materials•	 Develop	protocol•	 Develop	reinforcers•	 Develop	evaluation•	 Develop	resources•	 Develop	collaboration	materials

•	 Establish partnerships and collaborations•	 Professional development of education 

providers including training, peer trainers, and other training models

Education•	 Development of age and culture appropriate 

mass and print media on fire safety education

•	 Conduct education sessions using age 

appropriate sections of the curriculum, including group activities, games and trailer demonstration activities

•	 Provide age appropriate reinforcers•	 Conduct participant pre and post tests•	 Conduct participant and/or partner feedback•	 Periodically collect success stories

OUTPUTS

Program development outputs•	 Grant applications•	 Number of trailers obtained•	 Age and culture appropriate 

curriculum

•	 Number of partners•	 Number and type of resources 

gained from partners

•	 Number of providers trained•	 Number of trainings heldEducation outputs•	 Number and type of mass and print 

media produced

•	 Number of education sessions held•	 Number of participants in 

education sessions

•	 Percentage of protocol followed as 

described

•	 Number and type of reinforcers 

distributed 

•	 Number of pre and post tests 

received

•	 Number of feedback forms received•	 Number of success stories collected

SHORT TERM 

OUTCOMES

•	 Increase in knowledge about 

fire safety:

•	 Fire	hazards•	 Prevention•	 Safety	plan

•	 Change in attitude about fire 

safety:

•	 Perception	of	fire	safety	

equipment

•	 Perception	of	fire	safety	

precautions

•	 Perceived	risk	of	fire	

hazards

•	 Beliefs about fire safety:

•	 Severity•	 Susceptibility•	 Response	efficacy•	 Self-efficacy

•	 Readiness to change behavior:

•	 Prevention	behavior•	 Noting	and	taking	steps	

to	reduce	fire	hazards

•	 Planning	for	fire-related	

incidents

INTERMEDIATE 

OUTCOMES

•	 Improve fire 

safety prevention behavior

•	 Reduce fire 

hazards

•	 Increase 

number of and engagement in fire safety plans

LONG TERM 

OUTCOMES

•	 Reduce incidence 

of fire-related injuries and deaths

•	 Reduce disparities 

in fire-related injuries and deaths

•	 Reduce economic 

impact of firerelated injuries, deaths and damage

How is this 

measured?

How is this 

measured?

How is this 

measured?
Steps 1, 2 & 3 of the CDC Evaluation Framework

Evaluation Stakeholders and Primary Intended Users of the Evaluation: List individuals who have a stake in the evaluation or who will use the evaluation results.

Role Organization

Evaluation Stakeholders and Primary Intended Users

Title Name Contact Information

Funder CDCProgram Management and LeadershipGrantee
Role Organization

Evaluation Stakeholders and Primary Intended Users

Title Name Contact Information

Fire Safety Education (Using Trailer model) Program PartnersEvaluation Team
Background of Trailer Curriculum Program

Need

Why is the program needed (i.e., magnitude, cause(s) and trends of the problem)?

Context

What context is the program operating under (i.e., environmental factors that may 

affect the initiative)? 

Target Population 

Who is the target population of this program?

Objectives

What are the program’s objectives (SMART objectives)?

Stage of Program Development

What stage of development is the program currently in (i.e., planning, 

implementation, mature phase of the program)?

Resources/Inputs

What resources are available to the program in terms of staff, money, space, time, 

partnerships, etc.?

Activities

What activities are being undertaken (or planned) to achieve the outcomes?

Outputs

What products (i.e., materials, units of services delivered) are produced by your staff 

from the activities? 

Outcomes

What are the program’s intended outcomes (intended outcomes are short-term, midterm, or long-term)?
Background about Trailer Curriculum Evaluation

Introduction

Name and role of evaluating organization

Why do you want to do an evaluation?

What is it that you want to learn about your program?

Stakeholder Needs

Who will use the evaluation findings? 

How will the findings be used?

What do they need to learn from the evaluation?

Evaluation Questions 

What are your evaluation questions (include process driven or outcome driven 

evaluation questions)?

What do you want to learn from the evaluation?

Evaluation Design

Longitudinal data, points of comparison, multiple data sources, mixed methods

Resource Considerations

What resources are available to conduct the evaluation?

What data are you already collecting?

Evaluation Standards

How will you address the standards for effective evaluation - utility, feasibility, 

propriety, and accuracy?
Focus the Evaluation Design: 

Describe the purpose of the evaluation, and how you plan to use results for program improvement.

Component Evaluation Plan Questions Purpose How Results Will Be Used for Program Improvement
Process of Developing Evaluation Questions

Describe the process used for developing your evaluation questions.

Component Initial Set of Questions Indicate if High Priority

Indicate if 

Critical at 

Program 

Initiation

Curriculum development 

What steps were taken to develop the curriculum? What were the factors associated with curriculum development? 

 How were barriers overcome? 

What resources and other inputs went into curriculum development?

 Who were the partners and what were their roles? 

Was the curriculum content a comprehensive reflection of existing guidelines, manuals, protocols, best practices etc.? What were the inputs that went into the development of the program? 

 What were beneficial inputs?  Who were the partners?

Curriculum Implementation and Effectiveness 

Was curriculum implemented as planned?

 What factors were associated with implementation?  How were barriers overcome? 

Was curriculum effective?

 Did program implementers meet their annual participant goal?  Were the different teaching strategies found to be effective for different age 

groups? 

 What strategies were used to form partnerships/collaborations and how 

effective were these strategies?
Component Initial Set of Questions Indicate if High Priority

Indicate if 

Critical at 

Program 

Initiation

Curriculum Implementation and Effectiveness

 Were the marketing materials found to be effective in promoting the sessions? Was the protocol effective in guiding trailer set-up and program 

implementation?

 Were the reinforcers used and were they effective?  How effective was the evaluation in identifying the needed changes? Were resources easy to navigate? Were grant-resources effective in procuring more funding?

How burdensome was the implementation of the curriculum? How easy was the curriculum to follow? How was the curriculum adapted to fit the needs of the site where it was used?

 What parts of the curriculum worked well in the local setting? What parts of the curriculum did not work well in the local setting? 
Component Initial Set of Questions Indicate if High Priority

Indicate if 

Critical at 

Program 

Initiation

Outcomes of Curriculum Implementation

What were the major outputs and outcomes? 

 To what degree was the target population reached? What were the demographics of the population reached in terms of race, age, 

risk, and income?

Was there an increase in knowledge on fire safety? Was there a positive attitude change toward fire safety? Was there an indicated positive behavior change toward fire safety? Was there an increase in perceived susceptibility or perceived severity toward fire related injuries and harms? Was the program effective in decreasing incidence of fire-related injuries, damage and deaths? 
Steps 4-5 of the CDC Evaluation Framework

Objective 1: 

Evaluation 

Questions Indicator(s)

Data collection

Data Analysis Source Method Timing

What you want to 

know

What type of data 

you will need

Where you will get 

the data

How you will get 

the data

When you will 

collect the data

What you will do 

with the data
Objective 2: 

Evaluation 

Questions Indicator(s)

Data collection

Data Analysis Source Method Timing

What you want to 

know

What type of data 

you will need

Where you will get 

the data

How you will get 

the data

When you will 

collect the data

What you will do 

with the data
Objective 3: 

Evaluation 

Questions Indicator(s)

Data collection

Data Analysis Source Method Timing

What you want to 

know

What type of data 

you will need

Where you will get 

the data

How you will get 

the data

When you will 

collect the data

What you will do 

with the data
Plan Timeline

When will evaluation activities occur?

Evaluation 

Activities

Timing of Activities for 

{Year}

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
Step 6 of the CDC Evaluation Framework

Communication/Dissemination Plan: Describe your plans for communicating/disseminating your findings (i.e., distribution products, channels, and timeline) and the ways in which this evaluation will be used in your overall program.

Type of Communication/

Dissemination Strategy Audience Details
Evaluation Activities Staffing Plan

Staff Member

Activities

(e.g., developing and prioritizing evaluation questions, 

instrument development, data analysis)
6

FUND YOUR PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 6-1

Once you have your program details in place and 

you have planned implementation of the program, 

you will need to secure funding if you do not have a 

budget for prevention programming and education. 

This section of the toolkit will provide you with 

information and tools to help you prepare and 

submit grant applications to federal agencies and 

other grant-making organizations. Included in the 

following pages are:

 Grant writing tips.

 Steps for completing a grant application.

 Guidelines for preparing and submitting a Fire Prevention and Safety 

(FP&S) grant application.

 Sample checklists and templates.

Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant

A major source of funding for fire safety programs is the Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. FP&S grants are the AFG 

Program grants of most interest to fire safety educators. These grants support 

activities in two categories:

(1) activities designed to reach high-risk target groups and reduce deaths 

and injuries caused by fire and fire-related hazards (the “Fire Prevention 

and Safety Activity”); and

(2) research and development activities aimed at improving firefighter 

safety (the “Firefighter Safety Research and Development Activity”).

General categories of activities or projects funded by FP&S grants include:

 public education campaigns,

 arson prevention,

 prevention-related training,

 fire prevention activities, and

 risk assessments.

 Identify existing 

grant funding 

sources

 Develop grant 

materials

 Tips for writing a 

budget
6

FUND YOUR PROGRAM

6-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Eligible projects in the public education campaign area include national and 

local programs that promote a decrease in injuries due to fire or other safety 

hazards.

Educational tools, such as model homes, safety trailers, or curriculum delivery 

tools are eligible for FP&S funding; these tools are required to be part of a 

comprehensive and detailed public safety education campaign. Grants under 

FP&S are awarded on a competitive basis.

Grant Writing Tips

Each funding source has its own procedures for submitting a grant application. 

Here are some general guidelines to help you to prepare an application to any 

potential funding source:

 Most grants have specific deadlines for submission. It is important to 

identify funding opportunities early enough to prepare a winning 

application and meet all submission deadlines.

 Grants have specific evaluation criteria and content requirements that 

must be addressed in an application.

•	 Prepare a checklist to ensure that you have met all the content 

requirements. 

Grant writing is a skill and it is often necessary to take the time to refine and 

resubmit a grant application several times before it gets funded. Comments from 

the people who review your grant application can be extremely useful for 

strengthening it for the next round of evaluation or for submission to a 

different granting agency.

•	 Evaluation criteria often represent minimum requirements your 

application must meet to be considered for an award. In your 

application, show that your need, plan, or qualifications exceed the 

minimum requirements and you may achieve a higher score. The 

higher your score, the greater your chances for an award.

 Pay attention to how reviewers will score different parts of the 

application, and give higher priority (proposal length, etc.) to areas that 

are more heavily weighted.

 Learn about the mission of the agency or foundation you are applying 

to and communicate how your program supports that mission in 

your grant application. 
6

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 6-3

FUND YOUR PROGRAM

 Use clear and simple language. People who review grant applications 

usually have a large stack to go through, and they will favor 

applications that:

•	 capture their attention, 

•	 explain the approach clearly and completely, and 

•	 are brief and to the point.

 Grant applications usually include sections that describe key elements 

of the program you are requesting support for, such as the following:

•	 Significance: A documented community need for the program;

•	 Approach: How you will get your messages across and the 

techniques you will use;

•	 Innovation: New concepts or approaches included in your program 

and how the program will be improved by the requested funding;

•	 Qualifications: Experience and training of program staff members 

who will make sure that the program is well run and effective; and

•	 Environment: Facilities and equipment that will be available to the 

program, where it will be held, and your partners in bringing it to 

the community.

 When writing your budget, justify and document all costs, keep the 

budget reasonable and within the range of a typical award from the 

granting agency.

•	 Be sure to request an amount that is sufficient to cover salaries and 

equipment needed to run the program you are proposing.

•	 Keep a detailed file of how you developed your costs so that you 

will be able to answer any budget questions the granting agency may 

have.

 Grant applications that include 

partners are often stronger.

•	 Include letters of support and 

participation from partners.

•	 Also include letters of 

commitment from any 

consultants and vendors you are including in your 

application.

 Grant applications that include measurable outcomes of success and 

demonstrate favorable evaluation of your existing programs are 

more likely to be funded.

Grant-making agencies and 

organizations need 

to show that grant 

money is well spent.
6

FUND YOUR PROGRAM

6-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Getting Organized to Write Your Grant Application

Obtaining funding from grant sources is a very competitive process. Take the 

time to thoughtfully plan your proposal so your application stands out from 

the other submissions. A successful grant proposal is concisely packaged and 

follows all the submission criteria to obtain the highest possible rating for 

funding.

In order to achieve a high score, your package needs to have solid evidence 

showing a need for the grant. Data and statistics can provide a strong 

argument for the program you wish to have funded. Additionally, they provide 

baseline statistics you can use later to demonstrate that the program has 

positively affected your community. Examples of information you can start 

collecting several months before application submission include:

 Demographic and Community Information

•	 a breakdown of community members by age, sex, race, ethnic 

background, and socioeconomic status;

•	 local economic information (unemployment rate, etc.);

•	 number of schools, community centers, retirement facilities, etc.;

•	 projected community growth; and

•	 number of people in your program’s target population.

 Fire Statistics

•	 number of fire calls;

•	 number of fire-related injuries and deaths;

•	 financial estimates of damage fire has caused to the community; and

•	 local statistics versus national statistics to show a need for the 

program.

 DUNS Number

•	 All Federal grant applicants must have a Dun & Bradstreet Data 

Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number.

•	 The DUNS number helps the Federal Government identify 

organizations that receive Federal funding and ensures consistent 

name and address data for electronic grant applications. There is no 

charge to get a DUNS number.

•	 To apply for a DUNS number, call 1-866-705-5711 (U.S. and U.S 

Virgin Islands) or 1-800-234-3867 (Alaska and Puerto Rico), or 

visit the Dun & Bradstreet website at fedgov.dnb.com/webform/

displayHomePage.do
6

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 6-5

FUND YOUR PROGRAM

 Potential partners and their information as well as letters of 

endorsement and participation.

 How your project will be staffed—prepare resumes of key individuals 

for inclusion with your application.

Preparing Your FP&S Grant Application

Application kits for AFG FP&S grants are posted on the FEMA website at 

www.fema.gov/firegrants. You should visit this site often and monitor it for 

updated grant information and yearly guidance, release of grant application 

kits, and opening of grant application periods. Once the application kit is 

released, you should:

 Review the online tutorial available at www.fema.gov/firegrants.

 Read the FP&S grant Guidance and Application Kit and note all 

application requirements and deadlines.

 Make a checklist of all items you need to include in your application 

and update the checklist as you complete items or identify additional 

materials to include.

 Develop an application timeline by working backwards from the 

submission date. Include dates and deadlines for completing each of 

the items on your checklist.

 Assign work and communicate clearly and often with those working 

on the application to stay on track and resolve any issues early in the 

process.

 Check your progress continuously to make sure that deadlines are met 

and application preparation is on schedule.

Applications for FP&S activity grants must include a written narrative 

describing your proposed project along with supporting budget information. 

For your application to be successful, your narrative must relate your project to 

the evaluation criteria listed in the application kit. Based on information from 

past years, the narrative for an FP&S activity grant generally needs to include 

the following elements:
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6-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

 Vulnerability/Risk Statement—A clear summary of the fire risk in 

your community that the project will address and details of the steps 

you took to determine the risk and identify the target audience.

 Implementation Plan—Defines project goals and objectives and 

provides details and specific steps that will be used to achieve the goals 

and objectives (presented in Step 3 of this Toolkit).

•	 Includes examples of marketing efforts to promote the project and 

information about how the program will be delivered to the target 

audience.

•	 Identifies any requests for resources (safety trailers, portable safety 

houses, puppets, robots, etc.).

•	 Discusses specific goals, measurable results, and details on how often 

the resources will be used.

•	 Indicates the various outreach efforts that will be conducted and/

or the number of people you expect to reach through the proposed 

project.

 Evaluation Plan—Provides details on how the project will be 

evaluated and what measurable goals will be used. For example, for 

awareness and education projects, you should identify how you intend 

to determine if there has been an increase in knowledge about fire 

safety or how you will measure a change in safety behaviors of the 

target audience. See the Evaluation section included in this toolkit for 

ideas on evaluating a fire safety education program.

 Cost-Benefit Analysis—Provides explanation of costs included in your 

budget and benefits expected to result from expenditures.

 Sustainability—Describes how the overall activity will be continued 

after the grant ends (12 months for FP&S). Sustainability can be 

shown by describing long-term benefits expected to be derived from 

the program, involvement of non-federal partners likely to continue 

to support the project, and your demonstrated long-term ability to 

continue the project.

 Financial Need—Details your need for financial assistance to carry out 

the project. This may include information on any unsuccessful attempts 

you have made to get funding elsewhere and examples of your budget.

 Performance—Describes your track record for timely project 

completion and performance on similar projects and demonstrates your 

experience and ability to carry out the proposed project.
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 Funding Priorities—Describes how well your proposed project meets 

the agency’s funding priorities as stated in the Grant Guidance and 

Application Kit.

Preparing the Budget

Your budget is one of the most important parts of your grant application. It 

requires careful planning and should be started early in the planning process. 

In writing your grant budget, keep it as simple as the guidelines allow and do 

not include detail not required by the guidelines.

1. The numbers you include in your budget should be specific.

 If you round at all, round to dollars, or tens at most. Grant reviewers 

expect you to do a lot of work planning all the details of the budget.

 There is no place in the budget for miscellaneous items. Your planning 

should allow for unexpected costs. If you plan to buy equipment, such 

as a fire safety trailer, contact the manufacturer or supplier to get a 

written quote to back up the amount you include in your budget. The 

amount of thought you give to preparing the budget will improve the 

program and increase your chances of receiving the grant.

2. Keep detailed file of how you developed your costs so that you will be 

able to answer any budget questions the granting agency may have. 

Keep copies of all quotes, price lists, or other backup materials you have 

gathered to support your costs.

3. Your budget should include all costs associated with carrying out the 

grant. Most grant applications include a form that the agency wants you to 

use to present your budget request. If the funder provides a budget form, 

follow it exactly. If none is offered, the following general format may be 

used.

 Direct Costs. While there are differences between and among 

agencies, most include the same major categories for direct costs:
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6-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Personnel—Staff costs, salary, hourly breakdown for each person proposed. 

Fringe Benefits—Taxes and benefits that an employer must pay for an employee. 

Fringe benefits that are required by law include FICA (Social Security and Medicare), FUTA 

(Federal Unemployment Taxes/Insurance), SUTA or SUI (State Unemployment Taxes/

Insurance), and Worker’s Compensation (on-the-job accident insurance). Other benefits 

may include medical insurance and paid leave (sick, vacation, holiday, etc). Fringe benefits 

are generally based on a percentage of gross salary.

Supplies and Materials—Supplies are expendable items that are non-durable in 

nature. Computer software, paper, pencils, etc. are examples of supplies and materials. 

Contractual Services—Direct payments for the services of experts who are hired 

for a brief duration. If you propose to use consultants, include their names and hourly 

rates. If work is to be performed by a subcontractor, include the subcontractor’s authorized 

proposal and budget. In the cost proposal, document the reason for choosing a particular 

consultant or subcontractor. 

Travel—The purpose of the trip, actual cost of accommodations, meals, and local 

transportation should be specified. Per diem rates for lodging and meals and incidental 

expenses for federally sponsored travel in the continental United States can be found on the 

U.S. General Services Administration website at www.gsa.gov/perdiem.

Equipment—Permanent equipment is defined as durable goods. The cost of 

purchasing a computer or fire safety trailer would be included in this category.

Other—This category is usually used for items that cannot easily be placed in any of the 

above categories such as telecommunications expenses, advertising, printing costs, etc. 

Any items included in this category should be described fully.

 Indirect Costs. Indirect costs are costs that are not directly a part 

of the grant proposal. Such costs include utilities, general and 

departmental administration, accounting, purchasing services, and 

physical plant. Indirect cost rates are often determined by the funding 

source. Some funders do not allow any indirect costs.

4. Budget Justification. Depending on the requirements of the grant, you 

may need to compose a separate budget explanation to justify your 

requests. Explain how you arrived at various figures in the budget 

and why particular items have been included. Be sure to read the 

requirements in the application kit and follow them carefully.
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Submitting Your FP&S Application

You are encouraged to submit your FP&S application using the electronic 

system available on the www.fema.gov/firegrants website. While paper 

applications are possible, they are discouraged. The electronic system 

provides the advantages of:

 built-in assistance with application completion,

 an automatic check that assures that an application has been accurately 

completed before it is submitted,

 email confirmation of submission, and

 more timely processing of your application.

To submit your application electronically, you must authorize a representative 

of your organization to log on and create a user name and password. This 

can be done by going to www.fema.gov/firegrants and clicking on the E-Grant 

Application Access tab on the menu bar. If you already have a user name and 

password from a previous AFG, Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency 

Response (SAFER), or FP&S application, you should use that to log on.

It is best to prepare your materials off-line using a word processor and then 

cut and paste your information electronically into the appropriate places in the 

application.

Other Sources of Grant Funding

Other sources of funding include major charitable foundations, state and local 

government agencies, major corporations, and local businesses. Foundation 

funding can be hard to locate and get. Most philanthropic and business 

foundations focus on a limited range of specific issues and may have specific 

requirements in their grant application process.

 The Foundation Center*, a nonprofit organization that connects grant 

seekers and grant makers, has a website that can help you find funding 

from foundations (foundationcenter.org). They maintain a searchable 

database of foundations that can help you locate those interested in 

supporting fire safety programs, but it requires a monthly or annual fee 

for access (fconline.foundationcenter.org).

 Another commercial resource is GrantSelect*, a database that provides 

information on funding opportunities (www.grantselect.com).

* Check your local library to see if they subscribe to either of these services 
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6-10 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

If you want to seek foundation funding at the national level, you will probably 

need a skilled volunteer or a professional fundraiser to help you identify 

suitable foundations and guide your organization through the application 

process. However, many foundations have a specific range of programs that 

they will fund. 

Beyond the Basics

This section has some great planning tools that can assist you in organizing 

and writing your grant application. The following document is a grant 

planning guide that can serve as your overall planning tool. Additionally, at 

the end of this section, in the Resources table, there is a Grant Application 

Preparation Checklist, Budget Preparation Tips Worksheet, and a Logic 

Model Template for your use.

Grant Planning Guide

This guide will serve as a planning tool to organize all the required information needed 

to submit your grant proposal. The items listed are general requirements for grants, so 

remember to research the specific requirements of the grant for which you are applying.

COVER LETTER: Basic information identifying your 

proposal

Owner Completion 

Date

Grant name

Grant period

Proposal name

Organization name

PROPOSAL SUMMARY: Clearly and concisely 

summarizes your project and request for funding

Owner Completion 

Date

Background of your organization

General objectives relating to grant agency’s funding 

priorities

Summary of past achievements and projects, if 

applicable

Overview of project: to include the problem, mission & 

objectives, community capacity, methods, evaluation 

plan and sustainability plan (length usually 1 page)

Reasons for grant request and amount
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Specific objectives

ORGANIZATION OVERVIEW: Describe your 

organization and its ability to carry out proposed 

project

Owner Completion 

Date

Description of your organization’s mission, 

accomplishments, and programs

Description of community members, staff and 

management team

Past achievements

NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Using statistics, facts and figures 

to make your case for funding

Owner Completion 

Date

Goal of your organization

Statistics and research supporting your claim for need

Endorsement by community agencies

Document the scope and impact

PROGRAM GOALS & OBJECTIVES: Measurable 

outcomes for each goal and objective

Owner Completion 

Date

Goals should be related to how the program will address 

the target population

Timeline for meeting desired short and long term goals

Specific and measurable goals that can be quantified

METHODOLOGY: How you are going to reach your 

goals with activities

Owner Completion 

Date

Target audience—how and when

How to overcome potential barriers

Activities relating to each problem/objective

Timeline for each activity

EVALUATION PLAN: How success of the program will 

be measured

Owner Completion 

Date

Description of how data will be gathered and analyzed

Measures of success

Instruments or questionnaires to be used
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6-12 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Details on how evaluation will be used for program 

improvement

Details of evaluation criteria: Indicators, behaviors, 

knowledge, etc.

BUDGET: Clearly outline cost of the project with 

descriptive text explaining the budget

Owner Completion 

Date

Follow general accounting principles

Make sure your budget is realistic and reflects your work 

plan

Detail all costs relating to the project

Provide narrative detailing costs and provide 

clarification where needed

SUSTAINABILITY PLAN: Ability to fund the project 

after the initial grant funding is exhausted

Owner Completion 

Date

Outline business plan to sustain the level of funding 

required

List funding action plan to include other sources

Outline future budget planning to anticipate future 

funding requirements

Include letters of intent from additional funding sources 

if applicable

APPENDICES: Supporting documentation Owner Completion 

Date

Support letters or endorsements

Supporting documentation requested in grant 

application

Resumes/biographies of team members if applicable
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More Information:  USFA has developed the manual Funding Alternatives for Fire and 

Emergency Services. The manual includes financing alternatives for all 

types of fire and EMS departments. 

www.usfa.fema.gov

 Employer Identification Number (EIN)—also known as a Federal Tax 

Identification Number (TIN)

•	 The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses the number to identify 

taxpayers who are required to file various business tax returns.

•	 Apply for an EIN online at www.irs.gov. It may take up to 2-5 weeks 

before your EIN becomes active.

 Central Contractor Registration (CCR) 

•	 CCR registration is required to receive a grant award. Applicants 

who do not complete the CCR registration, or do not complete the 

required annual verification of their CCR data, will not receive an 

award. 

•	 Make sure to register your agency’s DUNS number in the CCR. 

Your DUNS number and EIN will be required to complete the CCR 

registration

•	 For CCR information, please visit: www.bpn.gov/ccr.
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6-14 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

6–15 Grant Application Preparation 

Checklist 

This checklist will help organize your 

planning efforts for writing your grant.

6–19 Budget Preparation Tips Worksheet The tip worksheet walks you through the 

various questions to consider when writing 

your budget to ensure it is complete.

6–23 Logic Model Template This template helps target your activities, 

tasks and outcomes for program 

evaluation. It is helpful for grant funders to 

see the overall picture in a table format like 

this one.

online FEMA Assistance to Firefighter Grant 

Program

Provides an online tutorial for the process 

needed to submit a grant application. 

www.fema.gov/firegrants

online The Idea Bank This link provides real grant proposals that 

have come from grant writers who are 

sharing their work as a way of assisting 

others. 

http://theideabank.com/onlinecourse/

samplegrant.php
6-15

Grant Application Preparation Checklist
Grant Application Preparation Checklist

1. Request for Applications (RFA)/Documents

q Obtain complete copy of RFA

q Distribute RFA to appropriate staff

q Prepare questions for submission to the grant-making agency

q Receive and review responses to questions

q Collect, distribute and review pertinent background documents

q Submit letter of intent, if required

q Make note of deadlines for submission 

2. Preparing for the Proposal

q Hold strategy meetings, if necessary

q Determine number and type of staff needed

q Identify equipment and/or supply needs

q Obtain specifications and costs of any equipment (e.g., fire safety trailer)

q Gather background data/statistics (community needs assessment)

q Prepare rough draft of budget

q Identify proposal writer

q Make sure organization meets mandatory criteria

3. Application

q Prepare draft outline of application narrative

q Establish document format (font, major/minor headings, etc.)

q Use bold or italics to emphasize key points

q Since you are probably limited on the number of pages, establish the number 

of pages to be included in each section

q Develop a schedule with due dates for draft sections

q Develop your review, feedback, and editing process for different stages of 

application preparation

q Review application for clarity and consistency. The application should read as 

if it were written by one writer

q Make sure everyone uses compatible software packages and versions

q Make sure everyone’s email can send to and receive from other team member’s 

emails

4. Gathering Appendices

q Collect resumes of all individuals participating in the project (if required)

q Obtain any additional information from participants, if necessary
q Obtain letters of support from partners

q Gather any special pages, charts, etc.

5. Finishing Touches

q Spell check all sections

q Make sure grant proposal is properly laid out and looks professional

q Prepare table of contents (if needed)

q Prepare cover letter (if needed)

q Have “outsider” read proposal

q Select cover design (if needed)

6. Packaging (for paper applications)

q Make required numbers of copies of proposal

q Check pages in each copy for legibility

q Make sure no pages are missing

q Determine how proposal will be packaged

q Ensure sufficient quantities of all packaging items are available
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6-19

Budget Preparation Tips Worksheet
Budget Preparation Tips Worksheet

The budget translates your proposed work plan into dollars. As you develop your 

budget, consider the following.

1. How much effort and expertise is required to accomplish your specific objectives?

 How many people will be needed and for how many hours?

 Will your staffing needs change over the life of the grant?

In your budget justification, note each individual’s effort dedicated to the grant 

(in units requested in grant application instructions), and describe their roles and 

responsibilities. 

2. Do you need to travel to conduct the project, disseminate research progress and 

results, or meet with colleagues and sponsors? 

 Domestic or international travel. 

In the budget justification, describe the travel (destination, duration, purpose of 

the trip, and number of persons supported by the travel allotment). Include items 

such as air fare, ground transportation, lodging, meals, and incidental expenses in 

determining your costs. Some sponsors may limit per diem to federal government 

rates which can be found on the GSA website at www.gsa.gov/portal/category/21287.

Foreign travel typically must be approved by program directors and has to be well 

justified.

3. Do you need equipment for the project (such as a fire safety trailer)?

 Itemize each essential item

In the budget justification, describe the need for the equipment and the 

consequences of not acquiring it. Some sponsors may want to see one or more 

quotes unless you must purchase from specific vendor. 

4. The supplies/consumables required to complete your project.

 Office supplies must be essential for your project and well justified as they are 

typically paid for out of organizational overhead funds.

5. What other kinds of expenses might be incurred on your project?

 Subcontracts—If subcontractors are proposed to perform work on the grant, 

you must include a budget and letter of intent to enter into an agreement in 

the event of an award from each subcontractor.

 Consultants

 Equipment service agreements

 Specialty software; software license fees

 Publication/copying costs 

 Communication expenses if essential for the project
 Advertising for promoting your program

 Mailing expenses specific and essential to the project

 Conference registration fees

 Other project-related fees

In the budget justification, describe the major categories of expenses and provide an 

estimated cost for each. Convey that you’ve thought of all appropriate expenditures 

and you have a realistic appreciation for the costs of your project. If you propose 

to use subcontractors, state why they were selected and what expertise or skill 

they bring to the project. If consultants are proposed, describe the services these 

individuals will provide.
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6-23

Logic Model Template
Logic Model Template

Complete each block with the appropriate, program-specific text

•	The problem is defined in 

relation to the AFG FP&S funding priorities and must fall into one of the following areas: 1. General 

Education/Awareness;

2. Code 

Enforcement/Awareness

3. Fire & Arson 

Investigation

4. National/State/

Regional Programs and Studies

•	This is the specific 

problem that the program/initiative will address. 

•	A general listing 

of the program efforts (events and actions) conducted to achieve its objective(s). 

•	What will the 

program do? For example, does your program offer direct prevention or education services to students or community members, conduct needs assessments, or provide training or technical assistance?

•	These are measures 

of the program/initiatives process or implementation. The data demonstrate the implementation of the program/initiative’s activities.

•	 What outcome did 

the program produce? Measures commonly include the number of community members served, number of service hours completed, and number of hours of training provided.

•	These are 

quantitative measures of the initial results of the program. They are typically measured at of the end program. 

•	This typically 

includes changes in knowledge, attitudes and awareness. 

•	How, and how 

much, have participants (or participating entities) changed by the end of the program/initiative?

•	These are 

quantitative measures of the longer results of the program. They are measured 6 to 12 months post program. 

•	This typically includes 

changes in behaviors, practices, decisionmaking. They may also include changes in social conditions (e.g., local fire calls). 

•	What changes 

are exhibited by participants (or participating entities) approximately 6 to 12 months after participating in the program/initiative?

PROBLEM

•	Goal(s)•	The goal must encompass 

the purpose of the AFG grant program to enhance the safety of the public and firefighters with respect to fire and fire-related hazards.

Objective(s)

A specific and measurable 

statement regarding what the program/initiative will 

accomplish. 

What will the program 

achieve?

SUBPROBLEM(S) ACTIVITIES OUTPUT 

MEASURES

OUTCOME MEASURES

Short Term Long Term
7

TEACHING STRATEGIES 

AND SAMPLES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 7-1

Every audience you deliver fire safety programs 

to will have different needs. Previous sections 

of the toolkit helped you to assess your 

community and to plan, develop materials 

for, market, implement, and evaluate your 

program. This section provides information, 

examples, and tools for making sure you are 

able to deliver your program to everyone 

in the community—groups of different ages, 

different cultural backgrounds, and those with 

impairments and activity limitations that may 

otherwise restrict their participation in fire 

safety education activities. 

The strategies in this section are aimed specifically at delivering lessons and 

materials to meet the differing needs of young children, adolescents, adults, 

and senior citizens. Additional information is also included to assist you 

with tailoring messages and presentation techniques to special audiences, 

including multicultural groups, low-literacy, and other vulnerable populations. 

As an added resource, a Fire Safety Program Matrix Table, which includes 

links to existing programs and resources that may aid you in further program 

development, can be found in Section 3.

 Identify differing needs 

of your target audience

 Determine appropriate 

messaging for your 

audience

 Utilize existing resources 

and adapt for your 

audience

Multicultural competence is an understanding that material should be 

presented in a way that all people can comprehend the information. It 

should not be assumed that something is “common knowledge.”

Teaching Strategies

While there is no one way to teach, there are some strategies that can be 

useful when giving fire safety education presentations to groups with differing 

needs. The strategies are broken out into four parts:

1. Engage: introduce the learning task while capturing attention. 

2. Explore: connect with students by asking about their experiences.
7

TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

7-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

3. Elaborate: challenge the students and provide the opportunity for handson learning.

4. Evaluate: involve students by having them tell you what they have 

learned.

Children 

1. ENGAGE

Show participants age-appropriate pictures of firefighters.

2. EXPLORE

Pose a question to spark discussion:

What can you do to keep your house safe from fires? What can your parents do? 

Listen to all answers and discuss the good answers and good explanations, even if they are 

only partially correct.

3. ELABORATE

Instructor asks questions about information just given to be sure that the information was 

retained. For this informal type of quizzing, try to give away little rewards (see reinforcers/

sample materials) for correct answers. Ask the teacher for help—how do they reward the 

children? (i.e., homework pass, extra art time).

Instructor asks children to help him/her to start to write a song or rap about fire safety. Can 

ask the teacher to make this a homework assignment. Can leave a certificate or badge for 

those that turn it in.

4. EVALUATE

Use a post-test after the lesson to see what the children learned. Read each question and 

set of responses for the participants. Take notes on their answers to assess what they have 

learned.

Adolescents, Adults, and Older Adults 

1. ENGAGE

Find out what they know—give a pre-test (on paper or verbally).

Show participants pictures of house fires and victims in their age group.

Share recent news articles about fires in their neighborhood. 

Share personal experiences with house fire calls.

Explain what they will be learning.
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TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

2. EXPLORE

Pose a question to spark discussion:

If you were sleeping and were awakened by the sound of the fire alarm what would be the first 

thing that you would do?

What are some problems that senior citizens may encounter while trying to escape a fire?

Listen to all answers and discuss the good answers and good explanations, even if they are 

only partially correct.

3. ELABORATE

Use humor when possible, especially if the instructor is a lot younger than the participants.

Pause frequently to make sure no one has any questions. Scan the room for any 

participants who look as if they don’t understand, have a question or cannot hear.

Allow extra time for questions and discussion. Ask participants to describe or demonstrate 

knowledge or skills in terms of a house fire scenario.

4. EVALUATE

Using a post-test, read each question and set of responses for the participants. 

Ask your teaching partner to go around the room to make sure that no one is having too 

much trouble.

You can assess verbally if you find the group may have trouble with the written test.

Multicultural Competency and Health Literacy

How a person understands and uses information is directly linked to his/

her cultural attitudes and beliefs. Health literacy can be affected by cultural 

beliefs, low educational level, and limited English proficiency. An effective 

presenter must not only respect the culture and beliefs of his/her participants, 

but also the limits of their ability to understand the fire safety information 

being provided.

Consider the following when planning your program:

 Recruit a partner of the same culture as the audience to co-host the 

event.

 Show participants pictures of house fires and of the victims of house 

fires who are of the same race/ethnicity.

 Use culturally appropriate materials.

 Talk about additional fire safety topic with a respectful focus on cultural 

practices that may lead to a fire. An example is a Haitian ritual that 

includes rubbing the body in oils and lying near candles. 

 Use partner organizations to aid in culturally sensitive discussions.
7

TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

7-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Health Literacy is the ability to understand health information and to use that 

information to make informed decisions about your health.

Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities1

It is important to know the abilities of your audience and be prepared to 

teach at their learning level. Try to assess the current knowledge and beliefs 

about fire safety for the target audience and adapt your presentation to your 

assessment. 

Depending on a person’s cognitive ability, fire safety educators may need 

to train the caretaker(s). Caretakers must decide how to implement the 

fire safety education lessons into their student’s daily routine. If training 

developmentally disabled persons directly, encourage caretakers to take part to 

reinforce the lesson.

Aim to incorporate the following items into your fire safety lesson plan:

1. Teach one skill at a time. 

It may take several days, weeks, or months for a student to master the 

skills you are trying to teach. For example:

a. STOP portion of Stop, Drop and Roll. 

b. Recognizing the sounds of a smoke alarm while teaching the steps for 

how to escape a fire. 

2. Present each skill with steps. 

Once the student masters the STOP portion and can demonstrate it 

properly, then you can move on to the next step, DROP.

3. Use gestures and verbal prompts. 

Students learn through repeated prompting by the educator through the

use of speaking and gesturing.

4. Use hands-on activities. 

Students learn better through role-playing and active learning.

1 Source: A review of research on procedures for teaching safety skills to persons with developmental disabilities. Dixon DR, Bergstrom R, Smith MN, 

Tarbox J. Res Dev Disabil. 2010 Sep–Oct;31(5):985–94. Epub 2010 Apr 27.
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 7-5

TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

5. Practice. Practice. Practice.

It is important that each skill mastered is practiced over and over. 

Repetition allows the student to become comfortable with the new skill 

and confident in his/her ability to perform it.

6. Make it routine. 

Try to work the new skill into the student’s daily or weekly routine. They 

should become familiar and comfortable with performing the new skill.

Tips: 

Keep eye contact.

Eye contact can help with gaining the student’s trust.

Give clear directions.

Practice the directions several times before using them in the class to be sure 

they are clear and easy to follow.

Encourage communication.

Allow students time to ask questions about why they are learning this topic. 

Help them to see the importance of fire safety.

Provide reinforcement.

Students learn better when reinforced. Use positive talk or other methods such 

as rewards with favorite treats like candy, ice cream, tokens, etc.

For more information about how to develop programs and materials for 

audiences with varying disabilities click on www.nfpa.org and search for 

“people with disabilities” (without quotes) to get detailed information.

“I feel sharing is a must in the field—why not share a 

program that I know works.”

—Fire Prevention Officer
7

TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

7-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Sample Activities and Tip Sheets 

Material 

Type

Target 

Population Activity/Lesson Pg #

Pocket 

Guide General Pocket guide for general audience 5–11

Babysitter 

Handout General Babysitter handout for general audience 5–15

Sample 

Pictogram General Sample pictogram for low literacy 5–17

Bookmarks General Series of bookmarks with fire safety education tips 5–18

Activity Children Sample games to play during the fire safety tour or 

in the classroom 5–29

Poster Children 9-1-1 Poster for children 5–30

Activity Children My Phone/My Address worksheet 5–31

Writing 

Activity Children Journal Ideas: writing a letter to a parent on fire safety 5–32

Calendar Children Monthly calendar that includes fire safety education 

messages

5–33

Activity Children Greeting cards with education messages 5–46

Activity Children Fire safety picture frames craft 5–47

Activity Children Picture/word matching worksheet 5–49

Activity Children Fun with Words—adjectives for firefighting 

vocabulary 5–50

Activity 

Booklet Children Sesame Street FEMA Fire Safety Station www.usfa.fema.gov Online

Checklist Children

Smoke Alarm Checklist for family 

www.nfpa.org/assets/files//fpw11/fpw2011_

familychecklist.pdf

Online

Lesson Plan Children Lesson plan for teaching escape planning 

www.usfa.fema.gov Online
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Fire Safety Program Toolkit 7-7

TEACHING STRATEGIES AND SAMPLES

Material 

Type

Target 

Population Activity/Lesson Pg #

Writing 

Activity Adolescents Journal Ideas for Classroom Students 5–51

Role Playing 

Activity Adolescents Fire and Burn Scenarios 5–52

Activity Adolescents Sample Poster Design Contest 5–53

Online 

Fire Safety 

Education 

Games

Adolescents Hamilton Township Fire Dept. 

www.htfd.org/kids_pages/kids_games.php Online

Checklist Adolescents Smoke Alarm Safety Checklist 

www.nfpa.org Online

Checklist Adolescents Take Home Inspection Checklist 

www.sparky.org/PDF/SparkyChecklist.pdf Online

Brochure College 

Students

Campus Fire Safety

https://apps.usfa.fema.gov/publications Online

Fact Sheet Adults Using Your Microwave Oven Safely 5–56

Guide Adults

Smoke Alarm Guide for adults 

www.nfpa.org/assets/files//PDF/Research/

SmokeAlarmsSafetyTips.pdf 

Online

Door 

Hanger Adults Door hanger with fire safety tips—FEMA

www.usfa.fema.gov

Online

Checklist Older 

Adults

Fire Safety Checklist for Older Adults 

www.usfa.fema.gov Online

Resource Older 

Adults

Fire Safe Seniors Toolkit 

www.usfa.fema.gov Online
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7-9

Fire Safety Pocket Guide


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7-13

Fire Safety Babysitter Handout


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7-17

Pictogram

7-19

Bookmarks








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7-29

Discovery Through Play 
Discovery Through Play 

Red Light/Green Light Game

The old classic, Red Light/Green Light, has been thrilling young children for 

generations. It requires quick reflexes, good timing and a sense of fair play. This is 

a modified version of the old classic to incorporate awareness of surroundings by 

identifying fire hazards, while keeping the kids moving and engaged in the physical 

activity.

Choose one player to be the “traffic light.” The players line up one by one and the 

traffic light stands some distance away from the line. The traffic light begins by facing 

the players. At this point the light is considered to be red; the players are not allowed 

to move forward on a red light. The traffic light now turns away and shouts, “Green 

Light!” The players move one at a time toward the different objects. As a player gets 

close to a fire hazard, yell “RED LIGHT” and the player stops and has to tell the traffic 

light what the fire hazard is and how to be safe. Once the player tells the traffic light 

the correct answer, the traffic light yells “GREEN LIGHT” and the player can move 

again. 

The game can be used in a classroom or fire safety trailer to reinforce safety 

messages.

Imaginative Role Play

Encourage imaginative play that will allow children to explore new situations and 

learn new skills. This will help the child to explore their feelings and the task at hand 

in a safe, supervised environment. An example might be to have each child pretend 

they are a firefighter and have them “teach” the other children what they have just 

learned.

Coloring Stations

Encourage their creative juices by having students draw pictures of what they have 

learned so far. Let their imaginations run and see what creative images they can 

come up with on their own.

Puppet Show

Have the students put on a sock puppet show teaching the other students about fire 

safety and lessons learned.
7-31

9-1-1 Poster for Children
9-1-1 Poster for Children

REPORTING AN EMERGENCY!

Practice what to do in an 

emergency by pretending 

to report an emergency 

at your home!

Reporting an Emergency

Call 9-1-1 or (local #__________________) Speak slowly and clearly

Say: My name is:_____________________________________________________

“I want to report an emergency at: _____________________________________

“The phone number I’m calling from is: _________________________________

“The address I’m calling from is: _______________________________________

“The emergency is: __________________________________________________

When making a home escape plan 

put a family member in charge of calling 9-1-1!
7-33

My Phone / My Address Worksheet
My Phone / My Address Worksheet

Fill in YOUR information when you get home, cut out on the dotted lines and put 

it on your refrigerator at home. This way you will know your phone number and 

address in case you have to dial 9-1-1 in an emergency.

My Phone Number:

_______________________________________

My Address is:

_______________________________________

_______________________________________
7-35

Journal Ideas for Elementary Students
Journal Ideas for Elementary Students

Write a letter to a parent or guardian telling them what you learned about fire safety. 

Some ideas to help you remember what you learned are listed below:

 Firefighter clothing

 Stop, Drop and Roll

 Smoke alarms

 Finding matches or a lighter

 Fire drills

 Crawling low under smoke

 When to call 9-1-1

 Firefighters are your friends
7-37

Calendar












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7-51

Greeting Cards


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7-55

Fire Safety Picture Frames Craft
Fire Safety Picture Frames Craft

You can put these frames on a desk, hang them on the wall, or attach a magnet to 

the back and hang them from the fridge or file cabinet.

Materials Needed

 Paper 

 Scissors

 Coloring materials

 Wool or ribbon if hanging from the wall or magnet if hanging on fridge

 Photograph 

 Piece of cardboard (optional)

Instructions

 Print out the template.

 Glue the template to a piece of cardboard if you want it to be sturdier. You 

can use cereal or other boxes or poster board.

 Color and cut out the template. Cut out the shape along the dotted line. 

Younger kids may need help with this.

 Glue any additional decorations to the frame.

 Trim the photograph as necessary and glue to the back of the frame.

 Attach wool or ribbon if hanging the photo or a magnet as desired.

 Feel free to decorate further with sparkles, sparkle glue, sequins or anything 

else the kids can think of.
7-57

Picture Frame Template
Picture Frame Template

I know what to do if there is a fire. 

Get Out and Stay Out!

I promise not to play with 

matches.

Firefighters are my friends

If fire gets on my clothes
7-59

Picture/Word Matching Worksheet
Picture/Word Matching Worksheet

Draw a line from each picture to the matching word about firefighting: 

Firefighter

Helmet

Fire Truck

Dalmatian

Fire Hydrant

Smoke Alarm

Fire
7-61

Fun With Words 
Fun With Words 

Write 5 adjectives describing the words listed below about firefighting:

FIREFIGHTER

1.

2.

3

4.

5.

WATER

1.

2.

3

4.

5.

FIRE ENGINE

1.

2.

3

4.

5.

LADDER

1.

2.

3

4.

5.
7-63

Journal Ideas for Classroom Students
Journal Ideas for Classroom Students

Think about what you learned about in the Fire Safety Trailer and during your small 

group activities...

1. Describe a typical day in the life of a firefighter.

2. Describe something you learned today that surprised you.

3. Imagine you were home sleeping in your bedroom and the smoke alarm goes off. 

What would you do? (describe in detail)

4. Think about your home. After learning about fire safety in the home, how does 

yours measure up? Are there any fire safety hazards? What could be changed?

5. What did you like most about the Fire Safety Trailer Tour and activities?
7-65

Role Playing Activity
Role Playing Activity

Role-Playing Activity Cards to be used to reinforce fire safety messages. 

Source: Adapted from Fire Safety for Texans, Texas State Fire Marshal ́s Office

Scene 1: Planning for fire emergencies

Student A: Tells B that a news story about a fire in their town has her worried: 

“How will we know what to do in a fire?” 

Student B: Tells A that having a fire escape plan will help; tells her to make plan 

that gives everyone in the house two ways out of each room and sets up a meeting 

place outside, in front of the house a safe distance away. Tells her to get a smoke 

alarm and check it each month.

Scene 2: Hearing a smoke alarm while sleeping

Both: Pretend to be sleeping

Student A: Hears a smoke alarm, wakes B.

Student B: Tells A they need to crawl out under any possible smoke.

Both: Crawl out of room, go to neighbor’s house, call 9-1-1 (or local emergency 

number) and report fire at (insert address).

Scene 3: Cooking pan catches fire

Student A: Pretends to be cooking; a grease fire starts up in the pan.

Student B: Tell A to carefully slide a lid over the top of the pan.

Student A: Slides on lid; fire goes out.

Scene 4: Burn on hand

Student A: Pretends to be ironing; burns hand.

Student B: Makes A put hand under cool running water for at least 3 to 5 minutes 

and then puts a clean, dry cloth on the burn. 
Scene 5: Fire gets on your clothes

Student A: Pretends to get too close to the campfire and her pants catch fire.

Student B: Tells A to stop immediately, drop to the ground and roll around to put 

out the flames, and keep rolling until the fire is out.

Scene 6: Learning about fire safety

Student A: Tells B that he is concerned about his grandparents and several other 

senior citizens in their neighborhood because they seem to be unaware of fire 

hazards and can’t get around well.

Student B: Tells A to call the fire prevention office of the fire department; they 

can put on a special presentation to tell them about fire safety and can even help 

them install smoke alarms, make an escape plan and check for fire hazards.
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7-69

Sample Poster Design Contest
Sample Poster Design Contest

Contest Theme

Using knowledge gained during your tour of the Fire Safety Trailer, the contest is 

designed to provide an opportunity for middle and high school students to gain 

awareness of safety issues and convey their thoughts about the importance of taking 

preventative measures to stay safe to elementary students. Fire safety topics include, 

but are not limited to: 

 Smoke alarms

 Calling 9-1-1

 Playing with matches or fire

 Kitchen safety

 How to treat a burn

 Fire escape planning

 Stop, Drop and Roll

Eligibility

The contest is open to sixth through twelfth grade. Only one entry per student will 

be allowed. Entries will be judged based on the safety message, creativity, originality, 

visual impact, and universal appeal.

Contest Rules

 All contest entries must: 

•	 adhere to the contest theme 

•	 be created by an individual student rather than a team of students 

•	 be a contestant’s original, handmade creation 

•	 not be from other artists’ published works 

•	 be on an 8 1⁄2” x 11” piece of white paper (vertically or horizontally) 

 Any media may be used to create a flat or two-dimensional effect including 

paint, crayon, colored pencil, charcoal, etc.
7-71

Microwave Safety Fact Sheet

8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: 

SAMPLE SMOKE ALARM 

INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-1

Let’s recap what we have covered in this 

toolkit. 

 Step 1 covered assessing your 

community information and resources 

to focus your efforts. 

 Next, in step 2, we discussed the 

importance of developing partnerships 

and strategies to utilize in your 

community. 

 In step 3, you learned how to plan your 

program and put it in motion. 

 Step 4 discussed marketing your program to help get the word out and 

communicate your message to the intended audience. 

 In step 5, evaluation methods were covered to ensure your program is 

successful in obtaining funding and promoting your intended fire safety 

messages. 

 Section 6 introduced the various avenues you can take to help secure 

funding for the program you developed in step 3. 

 Finally, in the teaching strategies and materials section, step 7, you were 

presented with tips for presenting your program to various audiences 

and sample resources for use with your program.

Now that you have the basics of program planning down and resources for 

use in your community, this section will demonstrate how you might use 

this toolkit to develop a smoke alarm installation program. We will begin 

with background information for use with your program and then walk you 

through a snapshot of the steps you read about in previous sections of the 

toolkit.

Background for Your Program

In 1998, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) started the 

Smoke Alarm Installation and Fire Safety Education (SAIFE) Program, 

which funded state health departments in their efforts to implement smoke 

alarm installation programs. In all, CDC funded 22 states with grants for 

lithium-powered smoke alarm installations for high-risk populations. (Lithiumpowered batteries typically last as long as 8-10 years.) As part of the SAIFE 

 Understand the research 

supporting smoke alarm 

installation programs

 Identify training needs 

for those conducting the 

program 

 Identify the steps involved 

in creating a program
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

program funding, these health departments were directed to partner with 

others in the community (especially the fire service) to:

1. promote availability,

2. deliver installation and fire safety education, and

3. follow up with recipients after six months to see if the smoke alarms were 

working. 

Since the program began, SAIFE has documented approximately 3,143 lives 

saved as a result of community smoke alarm installation efforts. More than 

490,000 long-life (lithium battery) smoke alarms have been installed in more 

than 250,000 high-risk homes. 

The concepts presented here are suggestions. There are many ways to 

effectively achieve an increase in homes with functioning smoke alarms. 

The aim is to provide you with a sample installation program, offer 

suggestions, and share examples of approaches that can be reproduced if 

desired.

Why Smoke Alarm Installation Programs are Needed

Smoke alarms save lives. But they cannot do this unless they are installed 

and working when fire strikes. Sadly, the majority of home-fire deaths in 

this country occur where there are no alarms or no working smoke alarms 

installed. 

In high-risk communities and populations, there is a need to increase 

awareness about the use of home smoke alarms, how to install them, and how 

they can provide ongoing protection. Smoke alarm installation programs also 

provide hands-on opportunities to show members of the community how to 

prevent fires from happening in the first place.

A planned and effective community 

smoke alarm installation program 

can deliver both life saving devices 

and the knowledge of what 

to do when they sound.
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-3

The Statistics

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fire departments 

responded to 386,000 home fires in 2011. These fires injured 14,360 civilians 

and killed 2,550 civilians and 12 firefighters. See www.nfpa.org for current 

statistics. At highest risk from fires at home are older adults and children age 

one to four. It’s clear that high-risk groups will benefit from a local smoke 

alarm installation program. Reaching high-risk audiences should be a top 

priority of smoke alarm installation programs.

High Risk Groups:

People in the Southeast (USFA 2007)

Males (USFA 2007)

Children 4 and under (USFA 2007)

Older adults ages 60 and older (USFA 2007)

African-Americans (USFA 2007)

American-Indians (USFA 2007)

Rural communities with populations under 

2,500 (USFA 2007)

The poorest Americans (Istre 2001)

Persons living in manufactured homes or 

substandard housing (Hall 2005)

Source: www.usfa.fema.gov/

With limited resources, investing time and energy in areas of highest risk 

leads to the best results. Even though you are skilled at reaching out in your 

community in many ways, unless you are intentionally targeting those groups 

that are at highest fire risk, your messages and outreach may not be getting to 

them.

85% of all civilian fire deaths 

occurred in the home in 2010.

—NFPA

Smoke Alarm Technology 

Overview

Fire safety experts recommend installing interconnected smoke alarms 

whenever possible. However, most smoke alarm installation programs are 

focused on providing single-station smoke alarms for practical reasons. 
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Types of Sensors

There are two types of detection sensors. The National Fire Protection 

Association (NFPA) defines each type as follows:

1. Ionization smoke detection is generally more sensitive to flaming fires. 

Ionization-type smoke alarms have a small amount of radioactive material 

between two electrically charged plates, which ionizes the air and causes 

current to flow between the plates. When smoke enters the chamber, it 

disrupts the flow of ions, thus reducing the flow of current and activating 

the alarm. Ionization smoke alarms are most common in homes and 

typically less expensive.

2. Photoelectric smoke detection is generally more sensitive to fires that 

begin with a long period of smoldering. Photoelectric-type alarms aim 

a light source into a sensing chamber at an angle away from the sensor. 

Smoke enters the chamber, reflecting light onto the light sensor and 

triggering the alarm.

Some manufacturers offer long-life smoke alarms, which are powered by 

lithium batteries. These batteries are designed to last 10 years, saving the 

resident from the need to replace the battery each year. Some models have a 

battery that is sealed into the smoke alarm and therefore non-removable. Just 

as with conventional smoke alarms, some brands of long-life smoke alarms are 

equipped with a “hush button” (to temporarily silence an unwanted alarm).

TIP: Look for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or ETL Listed mark on 

household smoke alarm packaging. This mark indicates that a 

representative sample of that smoke alarm has been evaluated to ensure 

it meets nationally recognized safety requirements. www.ul.com

Requirements for household smoke alarm protection can be found in NFPA 

72, National Fire Alarm and Signaling Code®. It is important to be aware that 

local codes may reference NFPA 72 in whole or in part, or may have different 

requirements. 

Proper Placement 

Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, including the basement if 

there is one. Unfinished attics do not need to have a smoke alarm; a heat 

detector can be used to provide early warning here as well as in attached 

garages. Smoke rises, so smoke alarms should be mounted high on walls or 

ceilings. 
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-5

 Ceiling-mounted alarms should be installed at least four inches away 

from the nearest wall. 

 Wall-mounted alarms should be installed four to 12 inches away from 

the ceiling.

When installing smoke alarms, position them so that they protect every room 

where people sleep; typically in a hallway outside of bedrooms. Ideally, you 

will want to install them inside each bedroom as well. 

Make sure the alarm is 

away from the path of 

steam from bathrooms and 

cooking vapors from the 

kitchen. These can cause 

a nuisance alarm when the 

alarm goes off but there is 

not a fire. Ionization smoke 

alarms are more likely to 

cause nuisance alarms from 

cooking vapors. In small 

homes where it is difficult 

to place a smoke alarm an 

adequate distance from 

the kitchen, installing a 

photoelectric smoke alarm, 

or an alarm with a “hush button” feature may be a better option. If you use 

these alarms in your program, be sure to teach the occupants how to use the 

feature. 

Don’t install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts. They will not work 

properly in these locations.

Maintenance

All smoke alarms, even long-life smoke alarms, should be tested monthly. 

Follow the manufacturer’s testing guidelines or push the “test button” on the 

smoke alarm to adequately test the detection function. There is no need to 

test a smoke alarm with a candle or other flame. The Home Safety Council 

recommends using a safety step stool or ladder to reach high smoke alarms. 

An alternative to climbing is the gentle use of a broom handle to reach the test 

button.

Hard-wired smoke alarms have batteries installed for backup power in the 

event of a power outage. Nine-volt batteries should be replaced once a year 
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

with new batteries. If the battery signals low power (typically a chirping 

sound), replace it sooner. 

Smoke alarm good practice

Smoke alarms should not be painted, ever. 

They should be cleaned occasionally by 

dusting or careful vacuuming with a brush 

attachment. 

Replacement

Smoke alarms can be expected to last 10 

years. They should be replaced with new 

units at the first sign of any malfunction, or 

after 10 years. 

TIPS

Having both types of detection technology and interconnected alarms is ideal. 

But the most important thing to remember is that every home needs some type of 

working smoke alarms on each level.

Before installing a new 9-volt battery, apply a small piece of masking tape to it and 

write the date. Make sure the tape is affixed to the exposed side of the battery, so the 

replacement date can be determined at a glance. 

When installing a new smoke alarm, use a marker pen to write the date on the inside 

cover. That way, you can check the date, and it will be seen each time the battery is 

replaced.

An important educational message to prevent people from disabling smoke alarms 

with no “hush button” is that they should respond to unwanted alarms by 

fanning smoke away from the smoke alarm.

Staff Training on Smoke Alarm Model and Program

Work with your team to determine what types of smoke alarms you will 

be installing as part of your program. Make sure everyone on the team 

understands the technology and the features. The following is a list of 

suggestions for your smoke alarm installation program training agenda to 

ensure the program runs smoothly: 

 Designate one individual as the local coordinator within the community 

to ensure good communication about the project and requirements.
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-7

 Make time for some hands-on practice with the smoke alarms so every 

team member involved with installation knows how they are installed, 

how the “hush buttons” work (if any), how to answer questions from 

residents regarding the model, etc. 

 Review the materials that will be used to educate residents to ensure all 

team members can deliver the messages effectively. Some topics you 

may want to incorporate into your educational materials include:

•	 Test smoke alarms monthly.

•	 Never remove batteries from alarms.

•	 Disperse smoke away from the alarm to stop a nuisance alarm.

•	 Use a hush button to stop a nuisance alarm.

•	 Plan an escape route. 

 Outline the procedure to be used for record keeping/form completion 

that will be used to track installation data.

 Provide support and follow-up to team members to encourage 

continued learning.

 Outline the entire program from start to finish (including evaluation 

components) so team members will be prepared and knowledgeable 

when residents ask more detailed questions about the program.

 Consider having program staff work in teams of two; one member 

inspects/installs the smoke alarms while the other member provides fire 

safety education to the resident.

 Plan with your team if and when you will conduct a broader home 

safety visit. Discuss common dangers and risks for certain populations 

(such as older adults and preschool children) and how you will respond 

if you discover something of concern.

Overview of Program Implementation

It is important to realize that program planning does not always proceed with 

these steps in sequence. In fact, it is typical for earlier steps to be revisited 

as you refine your thinking and as the planning process occurs. However, 

in order to illustrate the steps outlined in this toolkit, we have included a 

snapshot of the steps and sample activities you might complete within each 

step. Our intention is for you to get a realistic picture of how this might work 

with a smoke alarm installation program in your community.
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Sample Program Planning Example—Mount Safety Fire 

Department

The Mount Safety Fire Department located in Sampletown, USA decided they 

wanted to conduct a fire safety education program in their community. The 

Fire Chief put together a team of firefighters to plan the program and gave 

them the Fire Safety Program Toolkit as guide. Here is a snapshot of each step 

the Mount Safety Fire Department took in order to get their program up and 

running.

Step 1: Assess Your Community 

In order to develop a program for their community, 

the firefighters of Sampletown, USA needed to gather 

information about their community (size, location, 

demographics, data on recent fires, etc.). 

 They used data sources on the Internet, local 

and national statistics, and the Community 

Profile Worksheet in order to collect their 

data. 

 They also developed a short survey on fire 

prevention measures in the home, which they 

distributed to over 200 residents and collected 

during a town hall meeting. 

After looking at the information they collected, they determined a need for a 

smoke alarm installation and education program since most residents reported 

they either didn’t have smoke alarms or didn’t check them. 

They developed a problem statement for use in program development and 

for recruitment of key stakeholders and organizations willing to participate in 

development of the program. 

Problem statement: 

Roughly 70% of home fire deaths in the United States result from fires in homes with no 

smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. In Sampletown, USA, over 80% of fire deaths 

were in homes with smoke alarms that were not functioning. Additionally, our needs 

assessment of the town found that a large percentage of our residents either do not have 

smoke alarms in their homes or they are not functioning. Mount Safety Fire Department 

proposes the development of a smoke alarm installation program in Sampletown to reduce 

deaths and injuries caused by residential fires. It is a proven fact that smoke alarms save 

lives.
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-9

They made a list of potential partners/stakeholders for the program and 

determined what resources were available using the Community Resource 

Information Questionnaire:

Stakeholders: Fire Chief, firefighters, school leaders, elected officials, senior 

center director, Elks Lodge, county health department, local electricians

Resources: Small budget for supplies needed for installation; smoke alarms 

were donated by the local health department through safety grant funding; 

volunteers came from local Elks Lodge and other organizations 

Step 2: Develop Partnerships

Moving on to Step 2, the Mount Safety Fire 

Department team used the list of potential 

partners to reach out to public health 

agencies, service/civic groups, literacy 

providers, and faith-based organizations 

willing to partner up or provide financial and/

or resource support to the program. 

They utilized the Sample Meeting Planning 

Letter and the Invitation to Participate in a 

Partner Meeting to formally recruit members 

and then adapted the Meeting Agenda and 

Meeting Summary Sheet to record their 

progress. 

Step 3: Plan and Implement Your Program

During several planning meetings with coalition members and key 

stakeholders, the team formalized the main goals and objectives of the 

program they were developing in order to focus the development of program 

specifics and materials. The smoke alarm installation program’s purpose was 

defined as:

Purpose: To reduce the percentage of fire-related deaths and injuries in 

Sampletown. 

Goal: Increase the number of homes that have working smoke alarms.

Objective: Increase the number of homes with fully functional smoke alarms 

to 80%.
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-10 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Goal: Increase residents’ knowledge of smoke alarm installation and 

maintenance and general fire prevention education.

Objective: Increase the number of residents who properly maintain their 

smoke alarms as evidenced by community survey.

The team then developed an Action Plan, Implementation Plan, and 

Timeline using the sample worksheets that outlined the steps needed to be 

taken in order to implement the program. 

Step 4: Market Your Program

Once the program was developed and the action plan was in place, the team 

developed a marketing strategy with the materials they developed for use 

with their program. An overview of the smoke alarm installation program 

marketing plan developed by the planning coalition is listed below:

1. Local media blitz two weeks prior to program implementation to make 

residents aware of program. Local hospitals, schools, businesses and 

community groups were notified of the program. Marketing materials 

included a Sample Program Article written for the local newspaper, 

door hanger for homes missed, local news coverage and coordination 

with the local health department, schools, and senior centers for mass 

communication of the program.

2. One week prior to the program, volunteers went door to door in the local 

community to place door hangers on each residence informing about the 

smoke alarm installation program being offered free of charge in their 

community the following week. A door hanger sample can be found on 

page 8-15.

Step 5: Execute Your Program

The primary purpose for home visits in the Mount Safety Smoke Alarm 

Installation program was to ensure adequate smoke alarm protection—but 

firefighters involved with this program were trained to observe and make 

recommendations to residents on other safety hazards discovered in the home 

during their visit. They used resources found in the toolkit, the Home Safety 

Council’s online MySafeHome.org website (www.mysafehome.org), and online 

safety guides.

For each home visit, the tools (some of which were donated by a local 

hardware store) needed included:
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-11

Safety ladder or step stool Educational materials

Toolbox with the basics (screwdrivers, tape, 

markers, ruler, etc.)

Flyer with contact information for the Mount 

Safety Fire Department

Smoke alarms and batteries

1. The program used trained firefighters who went out to residential homes 

during a scheduled week and offered to check, replace, or install smoke 

alarms; provided training on how to maintain alarms; and provided fire 

prevention information for each residence.

2. A consent-for-participation form was used for all residents participating in 

the smoke alarm installation program. 

3. For each residence participating, a data collection form was completed to 

collect program statistics and also follow-up information to be used for 

evaluation purposes.

4. Homes that were missed were documented and mailings were sent out 

one month post event to encourage re-scheduling of the smoke alarm 

installation program. 

Step 6: Evaluate & Assess Your Program

The final step actually started at the 

beginning of program planning, because 

the Mount Safety Fire Department needed 

to have the Presentation Feedback Form

and Data Collection Forms finished 

before the program was implemented. 

The team members wanted to determine 

the effectiveness of their program and 

use the feedback they collected to make 

improvements to future programs. 

Back in Step 2, the team members determined 

their two main goals and objectives for the 

smoke alarm installation program and then 

used the evaluation techniques found in this 

toolkit to assess the program’s success:
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

8-12 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Goal: To increase the number of residential homes that have working smoke 

alarms.

Objective: Increase the number of homes with fully functional smoke alarms 

to 80%.

Measurement: Data collection forms tabulated showed over 700 home visits 

were conducted and, during those, 572 smoke alarms were installed. Over 

60% of homes did not have working smoke alarms and 30% did not have any 

smoke alarms.

Goal: To increase residents’ knowledge of smoke alarm installation and 

maintenance and general fire prevention education.

Objective: Increase the number of residents who properly maintain their 

smoke alarms as evidenced by community survey.

Measurement: A telephone survey three months following the home visit 

determined that 96% of the smoke alarms were still installed. 

In addition to the data collected on the data collection forms, the fire 

department also looked at the Sampletown fire statistics for the next 12 

months and documented a 50% decrease in fire calls that resulted in injury 

or death. The number of lives potentially saved as a result of the smoke 

alarm installation program energized the program and generated new funding 

opportunities to continue the program for several more years. 

“A $5 purchase can save a life.1”

—Fire Chief

1 “Neighborhood in need to get smoke detectors,” The Bakersfield Californian, Nov. 30, 2011. 
8

TOOLKIT IN ACTION: SAMPLE SMOKE 

ALARM INSTALLATION PROGRAM

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 8-13

Resources

Print and Online Resources

Page # Name of Resource Purpose of Resource / URL

8–15 Sample Door Hanger Sample template that illustrates what 

could be included on a door hanger for a 

smoke alarm installation program.

8–17 Sample Consent Form Sample consent form that could be used 

when implementing a smoke alarm 

installation program.

8–19 Sample Data Collection Form Sample form that illustrates possible 

information you may want to collect to 

develop statistics for your program for 

later use in funding proposals.

Online FEMA’s Installation Inspection 

Protection Campaign Materials

Educational materials that can be 

printed and used with your smoke alarm 

installation program. www.usfa.fema.gov
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8-15

Sample Door Hanger

8-17

Sample Consent Form
Sample Consent Form

Mount Safety Fire Department

3250 Jonestown Road

Sampletown, USA 37207

(555) 123-4456 office

(555) 123-4476 fax

Consent for Participation in the Mount Safety Smoke Alarm 

Installation Program

Name: ______________________________________________ Date: _________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________________ State: _______ Zip: ____________

I, __________________________________________, consent to participate in the 

Mount Safety Fire Department Smoke Alarm Installation program which includes the 

following:

q A Mount Safety Fire Department representative will enter my home and 

inspect my existing smoke alarm. 

q A Mount Safety Fire Department representative will install new batteries and/

or smoke alarms when necessary. 

q A Mount Safety Fire Department representative will instruct me on proper 

monthly testing and maintenance of my smoke alarms. 

q A Mount Safety Fire Department representative will provide fire prevention 

education information to me.

q A Mount Safety Fire Department representative will contact me by phone three 

months after the initial visit to follow-up on the smoke alarm installation and 

answer any questions. 

By signing below, I acknowledge that my participation in this program is voluntary 

and I will not hold the participating agencies and individuals liable in the event the 

smoke alarm(s) or battery(ies) malfunctions. I also acknowledge that my smoke 

alarms need to be tested monthly and maintained in order for the smoke alarms to 

be effective. 

Participant Signature: ___________________________________ Date: _____________

Witness Signature: _____________________________________ Date: _____________
8-19

Sample Data Collection Form
Mount Safety Fire Department

3250 Jonestown Road

Sampletown, USA 37207

(555) 123-4456 office

(555) 123-4476 fax

Smoke Alarm Installation Program Inspection/Installation Form

Sample Data Collection Form

Inspector 1: ______________________________________

Inspector 2: _______________________________________

Reason for no inspection:

q Not Home q Refusal q Vacant House q Other

Residence Information

Name: ________________________________________ Date: _________________________________________

Address: _______________________________________ Phone: _______________________________________

City: _________________State: _______ Zip: _________ Type of Residence: q Rental q Owned q Unknown

Smoke Alarm Inspection

Alarm Location: Alarm Functional? If not functional, why? Replaced Alarm?

Living Room q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

Hallway q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

Bedroom 1 q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

Bedroom 2 q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

q Yes q No q No battery q Dead battery q Damaged q Other q Yes q No

Total working smoke alarms: [ ] Total non-working smoke alarms: [ ] Total new alarms installed: [ ]

Verbal Fire Safety Questions

How many residents in each age group live here? Birth – 12 [ ] 13-17 [ ] 18-64 [ ] 65 or older [ ] 

Do you have a plan to escape in case of a house fire? q Yes q No If Yes, when did you last practice it? _______

How many people are disabled living in your home? ________

Does anyone in your home smoke? q Yes q No If Yes, do they smoke in bed? q Yes q No

Do you have a working phone in your home? q Yes q No

Is there a fire extinguisher in your home? q Yes q No

Inspector Visit Checklist

q Inspector Visit Checklist

q Tested existing smoke alarms

q Replaced non-functional smoke alarms or batteries if needed

q Provided instruction on monthly testing and maintenance of smoke alarms

q Demonstrated how to test smoke alarms

q Provided educational information on the prevention of fire and home safety

Additional Notes:

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Signature Inspector 1: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________

Signature Inspector 2: ____________________________________________________ Date: __________________
9

RESOURCES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 9-1

This section provides you with additional resources and links to help 

you develop your program plan and materials. We have organized the 

resources in alphabetical order with icons to help you choose the ones that 

may be useful to you as you develop your own program. The following legend 

describes the icons that appear in the resources table in the next several pages.

Legend

Icon Description

Tools & Templates

Presentations

Lesson Plans & Curricula

Video/Audio

Statistics

Materials for Kids

Materials for Teens

Materials for Adults

Materials for Older Adults

Materials for Special Populations

FREE

For Purchase
9

RESOURCES

9-2 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

BIC Corporation’s Play Safe Be Safe

www.playsafebesafe.com

Fire education program aimed at kids ages three to five

 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—Home and Recreational Safety

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/index.html

Various resources for staying safe from unintentional injuries in the home relating fire, falls, 

fireworks, etc. 

 Fire Safe Seniors Tool Kit—CDC and the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) created the 

Fire Safe Seniors Program for teaching the high-risk group of older adults how to plan 

and implement fire prevention activities.

www.usfa.fema.gov/outreach/older_adults.html

 

Center for Healthy Aging

www.ncoa.org/improve-health/center-for-healthy-aging

Resources for providing healthy aging programs and development of evidence based programs

 

Disability.gov

www.disability.gov/

Information on supports for teaching children and adults with disabilities including 

instructional strategies, professional development opportunities, parent collaboration 

techniques, available student supports and accommodations

 
9

RESOURCES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 9-3

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

Everyone Goes Home®—Firefighter Life Safety Initiatives

www.everyonegoeshome.com

Source for firefighter life safety training tools

 

Fire Is

www.ufanyc.org

An educational DVD designed to teach parents and children the truth about fires. Has five 

20 minute teaching modules entitled: Fire Is Black, Fire is Hot, Fire is Fast, Fire is Smoke & Gas 

and Fire is Emergency. 

 

Fire Safety for Texans

www.tdi.state.tx.us/fire/fmcurric.html#curric 

A series of fire and burn prevention curriculum guides (K-12) developed by the State Fire 

Marshal ́s Office (SFMO).

Texas Department of Insurance

P.O. Box 149104, Austin, TX 78714-9104

Fire Prevention & Outreach: 512-305-7900 

 
9

RESOURCES

9-4 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

Fire Safety for Young Children

www.osu.edu

This curriculum equips the early childhood educator, the parent, the firefighter, and the 

classroom with methods and materials to foster the development of fire safety knowledge 

and skills in young children.

Oklahoma State University

Fire Protection Publications

Stillwater, OK 74078

405-744-5000

 

Fire Safety Resource Center

www.scholastic.com/firesafety/

Lessons, printables and activities for grades PreK–5. Resources for both teachers and 

students are available.

 

Guide to Teaching Fire Safety to Students with Disabilities

www.mingerfoundation.org

This guide is designed to help the fire safety educator who is experienced in teaching fire 

safety but may need some guidance when working with an audience of students with 

disabilities.

 

International Association of Fire Chiefs 

www.iafc.org 

Information and leadership for fire safety personnel 

 
9

RESOURCES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 9-5

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

Keys to Safety Campaign

www.proliteracy.org/keystosafety/

Promotes fire prevention and safety education through local organizations that serve adults 

with limited literacy or English language skills; encourages these organizations to work 

together with their local fire departments and fire safety educators

 

Liberty Mutual’s Be Fire Smart

www.befiresmart.com 

Interactive approach to fire safety for families, teachers and educators

 

Masters of Disaster

www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/

Curriculum is centered on a series of ready-to-go lesson plans that help organizations 

educate youth about important disaster safety and preparedness information.

 

National Center for Education Statistics

nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph

Provides an online tool for creating graphs that can be used in reports, presentations and 

grant proposals.
9

RESOURCES

9-6 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

www.firehero.org

A national program developed to prevent line-of-duty deaths and injuries

 

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)

www.nfpa.org

Information for fire safety prevention through research, training and education

 

Raven Island

www.raven-island.com

Raven Island is a virtual world for teens and pre-teens set in a typical rural Alaskan village. 

There are interactive games that teach how to stay safe from fire.

 

Seeds Educational Services, Inc.

www.seedseducation.org

Seeds has created a fire safety curriculum designed to meet the learning needs of those 

with developmental disabilities.

 
9

RESOURCES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 9-7

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

Sesame Street

www.sesamestreet.org

Fire safety education video clips in their video library for use with young children including 

messages such as “Get Out, Stay Out”, “What to do in an Emergency” and “Kids Talk about 

Firefighters.”

 

Spray It Forward

www.edventure.org/fire-life-safety.aspx

Provides age appropriate curriculum for use at schools, festivals, church and scouting 

activities

 

Teacher Vision

www.teachervision.fen.com

Fire safety and prevention teacher resources, including printables, activities, and lessons to 

teach your students about fire safety and prevention

 
9

RESOURCES

9-8 Fire Safety Program Toolkit

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)

www.usfa.fema.gov

Resources available for fire safety, prevention, preparedness, and response; rural fire 

prevention outreach; train the trainer; and media communication

 Fire Prevention Photo Gallery and Video

High resolution fire safety prevention images and broadcast quality video footage 

 Learning Resource Center

An all-hazards information portal for the fire and emergency management communities 

from the National Emergency Training Center’s library

 Rural and Volunteer Fire Department Resources

 

University of Kansas’ Community Tool Box

ctb.ku.edu

Free resources for building healthy communities. More than 7,000 pages of practical 

guidance in creating change and improvement.

 

Virginia Department of Fire Programs (VDFP) Kids Initiative

www.vafire.com/fire_safety_education/activities_for_kids.html

VDFP Kids Initiative focuses on three broad fire safety themes: installing and testing smoke 

alarms; planning and practicing escape routes; and hunting for home hazards

 
9

RESOURCES

Fire Safety Program Toolkit 9-9

Tools & Templates Statistics Materials for Older Adults

Presentations Materials for Kids Materials for Special Populations

Lesson Plans & Curricula Materials for Teens FREE

Video/Audio Materials for Adults For Purchase

Resource and Website

Vision 20/20

www.strategicfire.org

The Vision 20/20 project includes a steering committee comprised key fire prevention 

advocates and stakeholders, as well as related agency leaders, to guide a national strategic 

planning process to develop a national plan that will coordinate activities and fire 

prevention efforts.

 A Guide to Fire Prevention Advocacy

The Institution of Fire Engineers US Branch Vision 20/20 developed this guidance to 

help fire departments advocate for increased fire prevention investment. 

 Integrated Risk Management (IRM) A Fire Service Context

A model that helps to prioritize risk in order to determine a course of action within 

a fire service setting. This is a tool that can be used to help organize your planning 

process while developing your fire safety education program. 

 

YouTube.com

www.YouTube.com

Search YouTube for fire safety education for numerous free videos.

 
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FINAL THOUGHTS

Fire Safety Program Toolkit

While there is no “one-size-fits-all” fire safety education program, this toolkit 

offers a comprehensive framework and specific guidance for people who 

are developing community fire prevention programs. The step-by-step 

instructions, samples, templates, and resources aim to provide you with the 

basic resources you need to get started. Use the toolkit to help strengthen 

your existing programs and rally support for developing new fire safety 

education programs in your community. 

It is important to be proactive in your approach to fire prevention. Monitor 

community fire statistics on a regular basis. Watch for trends and patterns 

that can help you identify risk areas early and help you to get a preventive 

program in place before they develop into problems. 

Remember to think ahead and make plans to sustain your program after your 

initial funding is exhausted. This will ensure that your life-saving messages 

will continue to be delivered to the community you serve well into the future. 
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Helping People Live to their Fullest Potential

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)

4770 Buford Hwy, NE, MS F-62

Atlanta, GA 30341-3717

Phone: 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636)

E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov

www.cdc.gov/injury/

U.S. Fire Administration

16825 South Seton Avenue

Emmitsburg, MD 21727

www.usfa.fema.gov

U.S. Fire Administration