Pune – With increasing number of children suffering from burn injuries in the city while bursting firecrackers during Diwali, Safe Kids Foundation, a leading NGO, partnered with PMC and PCMC Fire Departments to launch a pre-Diwali firecracker safety awareness campaign. Fire safety procedures from the Honeywell-funded Safe Kids at Home program curriculum will be leveraged during this weeklong awareness drive.
In addition to rallies, roadshows, and street plays, the campaign will introduce interactive and engaging fire safety related activities for children like a kids carnival, art mela, Diwali lantern and fort-making competition across Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC). A Safe Kids Foundation and Honeywell India co-branded vehicle will promote firecracker safety tips as well. Also, 100 volunteers, including parents and teachers will be inducted as fire safety ambassadors, called Agni Suraksha Mitras, to help deal with fire emergencies.
Mr. Prashant Ranpise, Chief Fire Officer, PMC said, “We want Punekars to exercise caution while bursting crackers. I urge parents and the elderly to supervise children playing with fire crackers and be aware of the fire safety measures. Our aim is to create a safe environment for Punekars, enabling them to enjoy the festival of lights happily and confidently”.
Mr. Kiran Gawade, Chief Fire Officer, PCMC, said, “While our teams are prepared to respond to any fire emergency, following simple fire safety tips can avert life and property damages. PCMC urges every citizen of Pune to be conscious of the damage caused due to minor fire mishaps, and act responsibly while celebrating the festival”.
Speaking at the launch, Dr. Cinthia Pinto, Program Director, Safe Kids Foundation, said, “We have been working with Honeywell India for more than two years to make Pune a model ‘Safe Kids at Home’ city in India . With support from PMC, PCMC, fire departments, education departments, hospitals, burn-units, pediatric associations, and schools and communities, we have worked on successful programs to drivefire safety awareness and preparedness among children and parents. Today, I am pleased to say that the Safe Kids at Home program has become an intrinsic part of every Punekar’s life”.
The program aims to reach 425,000 students and 250,000 parents by 2018 through innovative, experiential, and fun educational tools.
