Join Dayna, Tango and Siren live on Fireengineering.com Radio to learn all the latest about the adventures of the fire safety dogs and about Sparkles' Kids Zone, only on firelife.com! 7:30 ET
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Firefighter Dayna, Tango and Siren on Fire Engineering Talk Radio August 4th!
Firefighter Dayna, Tango and Siren on Fire Engineering Talk Radio August 4th
Join Dayna, Tango and Siren live on Fireengineering.com Radio to learn all the latest about the adventures of the fire safety dogs and about Sparkles' Kids Zone, only on firelife.com! 7:30 ET
Join Dayna, Tango and Siren live on Fireengineering.com Radio to learn all the latest about the adventures of the fire safety dogs and about Sparkles' Kids Zone, only on firelife.com! 7:30 ET
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
New Column on Firelife.com!
The fire safety dogs have so much fun writing their column, Sparkles' Kids Zone, for Firelife.com! Join the fun and see what the spotted friends have been up to!
Click HERE to join the fun! Until next time, stay safe!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Today is Pet Fire Safety Day!
Siren the Fire Safety Dog wants to remind you that Pet Fire Safety Day is today! This nationwide awareness day educates pet owners about potential risks when pets are left home alone and provides them with proven prevention measures to ensure their safety.
According to a recent AKC study, 88 percent of pet owners consider their pets to be valued family members so it makes sense to include them in fire prevention plans and rescue alerts should a house fire strike. If you love your furfriend, not only celebrate National Pet Fire Safety Day today, celebrate fire safety year around. If you do, you'll help keep your pet safe!
Here are just a few tips from the AKC website. We especially like the one about keeping pets near entrances. That is a great idea!
- Pet Proof the Home - Take a walk around your home and look for areas where pets might start fires inadvertently, such as the stove knobs, loose wires and other potential hazards.
- Secure Young Pets - Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home.
- Keep Pets Near Entrances – When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
- Working Smoke Alarms - Be sure to test the batteries on your smoke alarm once a month and change the batteries two times a year. First Alert has a great selection of smoke alarms to help keep you and your pet safe!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog's Eulogy by Dr. Harry Carter
Saying Good Bye to a Sidekick
We have gathered together this morning to say a fond farewell to someone who made public education and fire prevention more meaningful for a great many people of all ages all across America. There will be those who will not see the impact which Sparkles, when coupled with the loving support of Dayna Hilton, had on fire safety education. They will glance over the things which have happened because of the ability of younger children to bond with Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles the fire safety dog. They will not give credit here where credit is due. But that is my purpose here today. I intend to remind the world of the impact of one individual canine character of the world's stage.
It is my job here today to bring meaning to the impact which Sparkles had on the lifesaving work which Dayna has done for a long time now. Dayna wanted me to express her thought that today is not a time to be sad, but a celebration of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog’s life and the time she spent here on earth with the fire prevention community..
Let me tell you a little bit about Sparkles. She had a very rough beginning to her life. She was rescued from a home with 62 other dogs and adopted at age 4 by Dayna and her family. However, thanks to the loving efforts of Dayna Hilton, she went from being a rescued dog to fire safety dog who was able to help others learn their fire safety lessons.
Over time, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog became known for her red toenails and a tail that wagged non-stop as she helped Dayna, her educational partner, share their fire safety message. Dayna once told me that the only time that her tail wasn’t wagging was when she was sleeping. In her years as a four-legged fire safety educator, Sparkles did more than many in the world of human being. She participated in a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC, appeared on a national morning show in New York City, shared safety tips on a major 24 hour pre-school television channel for three years.
In addition she was able to have her photo appear on the Jumbo-tron in Times Square in New York City. Her efforts were even mentioned on the floor of Congress and during a Senate committee hearing meeting. One of my great friends in the world of safety education, Meri-K Appy, has referred to Sparkles as a 'Safety Icon,' stating, “Sparkles the Fire Dog will be remembered by her legion of fans -- past, present, and future -- as a safety icon. Sparkles made a real difference in the lives of children and families across America. Her legacy will continue to inspire fire and life safety educators everywhere to follow in her paw steps in spreading her lifesaving message.”
Let me share a story with you, a story about a young lady named Angelica. To date, we are aware of the fact that the efforts of Firefighter Dayna, and her faithful assistant Sparkles, have helped save the lives of two children (one of the pictures that I will have there is the picture of Angelica and Sparkles) and their two families.
During a meeting with one of the two children, five year old Angelica, Dayna was pleased when this young lady shared the story of how Sparkles and Dayna helped to save her life. The young lady stated to Firefighter Dayna that, "… I was in bed under the 'covers' and the smoke came. I crawled out of bed and crawled low, just like Sparkles [the Fire Safety Dog] showed me to. I said, 'C'mon daddy, you have to get on the floor and crawl low like Sparkles." By this time, her dad was disoriented because he had been standing in the smoke filled room and thankfully he was able to follow Angelica out of the house.
The firefighters who fought that blaze later shared with Dayna that Angelica's father followed her out of the home and they said that as soon as he reached the door, they scooped him up and took him to the hospital (where he spent 7 days there~ 4 in ICU). Immediately after they carried him away from the front door, the firefighters stated that the home flashed over became totally engulfed in flames.
A day doesn't go by where Dayna doesn’t think of Angelica and her story and she is so thankful that she and her dad are safe. So you see my friends, the impact of what Sparkles accomplished with Dayna lives on. Sparkles’ Pathway was created as a means of keeping Sparkles legacy alive. Thanks to the support of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, this area will ensure that generations of firefighters that visit or walk on Sparkles’ Pathway on the National Fallen Firefighter Foundations Walk of Honor will reminded of the importance of fire prevention
Dayna shared a personal story with me. She said that when she realized that Sparkles wouldn’t be with us much longer, she was very sad at the thought of losing her good friend and partner. As she was going through this period, a friend shared with her that Sparkles had done her work well and that setting up the foundation to carry on the fire safety dogs and her fire safety program was an important accomplishment. That along with the Sparkles’ Pathway effort, have given Dayna great peace. Even though Sparkles is not longer here, she is still with us in spirit as we perform the important work of teaching people how to live safely.
In this way Dayna has created a living monument to her friend and fire safety sidekick. In this way, her work will be continued and remembered for many years to come.
We have gathered together this morning to say a fond farewell to someone who made public education and fire prevention more meaningful for a great many people of all ages all across America. There will be those who will not see the impact which Sparkles, when coupled with the loving support of Dayna Hilton, had on fire safety education. They will glance over the things which have happened because of the ability of younger children to bond with Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles the fire safety dog. They will not give credit here where credit is due. But that is my purpose here today. I intend to remind the world of the impact of one individual canine character of the world's stage.
It is my job here today to bring meaning to the impact which Sparkles had on the lifesaving work which Dayna has done for a long time now. Dayna wanted me to express her thought that today is not a time to be sad, but a celebration of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog’s life and the time she spent here on earth with the fire prevention community..
Let me tell you a little bit about Sparkles. She had a very rough beginning to her life. She was rescued from a home with 62 other dogs and adopted at age 4 by Dayna and her family. However, thanks to the loving efforts of Dayna Hilton, she went from being a rescued dog to fire safety dog who was able to help others learn their fire safety lessons.
Over time, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog became known for her red toenails and a tail that wagged non-stop as she helped Dayna, her educational partner, share their fire safety message. Dayna once told me that the only time that her tail wasn’t wagging was when she was sleeping. In her years as a four-legged fire safety educator, Sparkles did more than many in the world of human being. She participated in a Congressional briefing in Washington, DC, appeared on a national morning show in New York City, shared safety tips on a major 24 hour pre-school television channel for three years.
In addition she was able to have her photo appear on the Jumbo-tron in Times Square in New York City. Her efforts were even mentioned on the floor of Congress and during a Senate committee hearing meeting. One of my great friends in the world of safety education, Meri-K Appy, has referred to Sparkles as a 'Safety Icon,' stating, “Sparkles the Fire Dog will be remembered by her legion of fans -- past, present, and future -- as a safety icon. Sparkles made a real difference in the lives of children and families across America. Her legacy will continue to inspire fire and life safety educators everywhere to follow in her paw steps in spreading her lifesaving message.”
Let me share a story with you, a story about a young lady named Angelica. To date, we are aware of the fact that the efforts of Firefighter Dayna, and her faithful assistant Sparkles, have helped save the lives of two children (one of the pictures that I will have there is the picture of Angelica and Sparkles) and their two families.
During a meeting with one of the two children, five year old Angelica, Dayna was pleased when this young lady shared the story of how Sparkles and Dayna helped to save her life. The young lady stated to Firefighter Dayna that, "… I was in bed under the 'covers' and the smoke came. I crawled out of bed and crawled low, just like Sparkles [the Fire Safety Dog] showed me to. I said, 'C'mon daddy, you have to get on the floor and crawl low like Sparkles." By this time, her dad was disoriented because he had been standing in the smoke filled room and thankfully he was able to follow Angelica out of the house.
The firefighters who fought that blaze later shared with Dayna that Angelica's father followed her out of the home and they said that as soon as he reached the door, they scooped him up and took him to the hospital (where he spent 7 days there~ 4 in ICU). Immediately after they carried him away from the front door, the firefighters stated that the home flashed over became totally engulfed in flames.
A day doesn't go by where Dayna doesn’t think of Angelica and her story and she is so thankful that she and her dad are safe. So you see my friends, the impact of what Sparkles accomplished with Dayna lives on. Sparkles’ Pathway was created as a means of keeping Sparkles legacy alive. Thanks to the support of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, this area will ensure that generations of firefighters that visit or walk on Sparkles’ Pathway on the National Fallen Firefighter Foundations Walk of Honor will reminded of the importance of fire prevention
Dayna shared a personal story with me. She said that when she realized that Sparkles wouldn’t be with us much longer, she was very sad at the thought of losing her good friend and partner. As she was going through this period, a friend shared with her that Sparkles had done her work well and that setting up the foundation to carry on the fire safety dogs and her fire safety program was an important accomplishment. That along with the Sparkles’ Pathway effort, have given Dayna great peace. Even though Sparkles is not longer here, she is still with us in spirit as we perform the important work of teaching people how to live safely.
In this way Dayna has created a living monument to her friend and fire safety sidekick. In this way, her work will be continued and remembered for many years to come.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Wingo the Therapy Dog Next Guest on "Sparkles' Safety Spot!"
Our next guest on Sparkles' Safety Spot, will be Wingo the Therapy Dog. Wingo helps the Morgan Nick Foundation and is one amazing dog! Please join us Tuesday, July 5th at 7 P.M. CST.
Sparkles' Safety Spot is brought to you by First Alert and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sparkles' Memorial Floral Arrangement by Mike Koch
Mike Koch (from Floral Creations By Mike Koch) just completed the floral arrangement for Sparkles' memorial service. According to Mike, the floral design took 33 hours and 1500 silk rose petals. Mike pulled an all-nighter last night to finish this in time for our trip to Sparkles' memorial service on Wednesday. Thank you Mike, from the bottom of our hearts, for donating your time and talents for Sparkles and her memorial service.
For more information on Sparkles and her memorial service, please visit http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialpathway.html. To watch the live stream of Sparkles' memorial service, visit http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialservice.html.To learn more about Mike and his work, visit https://www.facebook.com/sirenthefiresafetydog?ref=ts#!/pages/Floral-Creations-By-Mike-Koch/122902027744466
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Update on Sparkles' Memorial Service
One week from today, Sparkles' memorial service will be held at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Walk of Honor at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, Maryland. The memorial service has taken over 7 months of planning and live streaming will begin at 11:00 A.M. ET June 29th at http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialservice.html
To read about Sparkles' Pathway on the Walk of Honor, visit http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialpathway.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Siren the Fire Safety Dog to be in his very first magazine!
Siren (the Fire Safety Dog) is honored that FIDO Friendly magazine, the leading dog travel experts since 2001, along with a few of his canine friends, will be in their celebratory 50th golden issue. Golden Girl and animal lover, Betty White, graces the cover! The magazine will hit the stands in July!
Siren would love for you to follow his adventures as he learns to become a fire safety dog! Join his Facebook page HERE.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Firefighter Dayna, Tango and Siren on Fire Engineering Talk Radio June 9th!
Join Dayna, Tango and Siren live on Fireengineering.com Radio, June 9th, to learn all the latest adventures of the fire safety dogs and more about Sparkles' Kids Zone, only on firelife.com! 7:45 ET
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Next Episode of Sparkles' Safety Spot Streamed Live from the Vigilant Hose Company in Emmitsburg, Maryland!
The next episode of Sparkles' Safety Spot will be broadcast live on the web from the Vigilant Hose Company in Emmitsburg, Maryland!
Join Host Dayna Hilton as she visits with firefighters from the Vigilant Hose Company. You'll see a real firefighter dress out in their gear, learn fire safety tips on how firefighters are your friends, and even get a tour of the station during Sparkles' Safety Spot!
Thank you to everyone at the Vigilant Hose Company for letting us stream live on Tuesday!
Sponsored by First Alert and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation. 7-7:30 P.M. CST.
Join Host Dayna Hilton as she visits with firefighters from the Vigilant Hose Company. You'll see a real firefighter dress out in their gear, learn fire safety tips on how firefighters are your friends, and even get a tour of the station during Sparkles' Safety Spot!
Thank you to everyone at the Vigilant Hose Company for letting us stream live on Tuesday!
Sponsored by First Alert and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation. 7-7:30 P.M. CST.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
New Episode of Sparkles' Safety Spot Tuesday!
Join Host Dayna Hilton and her fire safety dogs as they share fun and educational ways to stay safe on Sparkles' Safety Spot! During this live stream we will be sharing the importance for children to tell a grown-up of they find matches or lighters. Don’t miss out on free downloadable safety materials after each safety spot. Sponsored by First Alert and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation. 7-7:30 P.M. CST
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog in upcoming book!
You can pre-order the book that Sparkles is going to be in on Amazon.com, "Animals and the Kids Who Love Them". Thank you to Allen and Linda Anderson for electing and sharing Sparkles' story!
Siren's new helmet and doggles!
Siren the Fire Safety Dog showing the love to Denise from Fat Dawgz BBQ for the new skateboard helmet and doggles. His new helmet and doggles will help keep him safe! Thanks so much Denise and everyone at Fat Dawgz BBQ!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sparkles' Safety Spot April 19, 2011
The recording of Sparkles' Safety Spot that was live streamed this evening is now up.
Here's the link: http://www.stickam.com/viewMedia.do?mId=191301574.
Enjoy!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Siren the Fire Safety Dog
Firefighter Dayna and Siren the Fire Safety Dog visited Mrs. Grigsby's class today, reading a fire safety book, singing fire safety songs and visiting with the children about Siren's quest to become a fire safety dog. Siren was also excited to see Principal Ziegler. Principal Ziegler is a huge supporter of fire safety and we love visiting Clarksville Primary!
Siren the Fire Safety Dog
Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog's friend, Siren the Fire Safety Dog at puppy social hour at SMART DOGS training.
Special thanks to Shirley Williams for this amazing video!
Join Siren on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sirenthefiresafetydog
Special thanks to Shirley Williams for this amazing video!
Join Siren on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/sirenthefiresafetydog
Thursday, March 17, 2011
#1 Sparkles Drive finished after months of construction!
#1 Sparkles Drive is now complete, thanks to the wonderful craftmanship of Susan Heikkila of the Ward Fire Department (AR)! #1 Sparkles Drive is a 1/12th scale model of an old fashioned two story firehouse, complete with pole.
According to Susan, this little firehouse is "big on love and craftsmanship." And no wonder! Susan's passion for this project, along with her friend Schwabb of Suzanne’s Dollhouses in O’Fallon, MO, was fueled to help will help raise funds for Sparkles’ Pathway, a section of the Walk of Honor® at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation®.
The walkway will honor Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and her work with children and fire safety, and will help keep her memory alive in all the hearts that loved and knew her.
According to Susan, this little firehouse is "big on love and craftsmanship." And no wonder! Susan's passion for this project, along with her friend Schwabb of Suzanne’s Dollhouses in O’Fallon, MO, was fueled to help will help raise funds for Sparkles’ Pathway, a section of the Walk of Honor® at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation®.
The walkway will honor Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and her work with children and fire safety, and will help keep her memory alive in all the hearts that loved and knew her.
This firehouse will be raffled off in July. Stay tuned for upcoming information regarding the raffle.
To learn more about Sparkles’ pathway, visit http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/sparklesmemorialpathway.html and the National Fallen Firefighter’s Foundation, visit http://www.firehero.org/.
Thank you Susan and Suzanne for this amazing gift!
Friday, March 11, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog's Fire Safety Site on Sprout
Sparkles' fire safety site on the PBS Kids Sprout webpage. Fun videos, games and activity sheets for the pre-schooler in your life! To go the page, click HERE.
Friday, March 4, 2011
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