NFPA Journal - July/August 2018 - 24

Outreach by Lorraine Carli

ADVOCACY,
LEGISLATION,
AND PUBLIC
EDUCATION

We Can Be Heroes
HOW AN INNOVATIVE PUBLIC ATTRACTION IN ALABAMA WILL HELP NFPA
SPREAD IMPORTANT FIRE SAFETY INFORMATION

e often hear firefighters

NFPA is that Alabama is in a part of the
described as heroes. While
country that experiences the highest fire
I wouldn't disagree, many
death rates in the nation-Alabama and
firefighters would.
abutting states account for 25 percent of
I've heard firefighters
all fire deaths in the U.S. each year. If the
say they're just doing their jobs, and
NFPA HEROES Experience has a positive
that they would rather not have to rescue
effect in the region, it would have a real
people from preventable fires. Most fireimpact on the fire problem nationwide.
fighters would prefer that the public
The other question I often get is,
take the simple steps necessary to avoid
"Why is this necessary?" Here's why:
fires and other emergencies in the first
After decades of decreasing fire deaths,
place. NFPA agrees that prevention is the
which is a great thing, we have settled at
best strategy.
a plateau of about 3,000 deaths per year.
Some people have
With that goal in mind, at the NFPA
We are struggling to reduce fire deaths
suggested that we
Conference & Expo last month we introbelow this level. How do we reach those
duced attendees to an exciting project,
last few communities and regions of the
have pushed annual
the NFPA HEROES Experience, which is
country that are most difficult to reach,
fire fatalities to the
intended to engage the public in becomthose at greatest risk, or those who have
lowest number that
ing their own heroes when it comes to
not benefited from current or previous
can reasonably be
fire prevention and safety. The attraction
strategies? Some people have suggested
achieved, but NFPA
will be the first of its kind, and a very
that we have pushed annual fire fatalfeels differently.
different way to impart life-saving inforities to the lowest number that can
mation in an age when it's increasingly
reasonably be achieved, but NFPA feels
difficult to get people's attention and to
differently-our vision is a world where
get them to take action.
we have eliminated loss from fire and
Part of the National Center for Fire
related hazards. Achieving that vision
and Life Safety to be built in Pelham, Alabama, the NFPA will be difficult, but that doesn't mean we concede. It means
HEROES Experience will be a 100,000 square-foot nonprofit we need to be willing to try new approaches.
public attraction serving K-12 school groups, families, visitors,
The NFPA HEROES Experience will not just be a destinaand tourists of all ages. Visitors will be immersed in authentic tion for people of all ages to visit and learn and enjoy, it will
stories, exhibits, and experiences that convey the importance also provide a place for NFPA and others to research and test
of preventative fire and life safety measures-think Disney or new education approaches to safety and prevention. What we
Universal meets fire safety. As visitors make their way through learn from our efforts in Alabama will be disseminated to a
the NFPA HEROES Experience, they will learn about risks that worldwide audience.
exist in our world and what they can do to keep themselves
The goal is to break ground on construction in 2019, and
safe. The idea is for visitors to emerge from their journey with open the attraction in 2021. NFPA is currently undertaking a
the recognition that they can be their own heroes.
capital campaign to raise money for the HEROES experience,
When I talk to people about this project, a few questions and we invite others to join us in building the future of fire
always come up, including "Why Alabama?" The simple answer prevention. For more information on the project and to see
is it was their idea. The notion grew out of discussions among renderings, visit ncfls.org.
officials in Shelby County, where the attraction will be located,
and took off from there. Another reason the area makes sense to LORRAINE CARLI is vice president of outreach and advocacy for NFPA.

24 | NFPA JOURNAL * J U L Y /A U G U S T 2 0 1 8

MICHAEL HOEWELER

http://www.ncfls.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NFPA Journal - July/August 2018