Sparky the Fire Dog, the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®), is turning 75.
This milestone birthday reflects a legacy that spans the generations. Since his official launch on March 18, 1951, Sparky has helped fire professionals, teachers, safety advocates, civic organizations, businesses and the media, among others, share educational fire and life safety information with the public, delivering invaluable impact.
Among his many achievements, Sparky has touted long-lasting fire safety messages in support of Fire Prevention Week — NFPA’s largest annual public awareness campaign — such as “Stop, drop and roll”; “Get out, stay out”; “Dial 9-1-1”; and “Know two ways out.”
He has also served as the brand for countless NFPA educational programs, resources and initiatives, including NFPA’s Learn Not to Burn® curricula, children’s books, online activities, videos, apps, safety tip sheets and brochures, to name just a few, promoting basic but critical fire safety information with a mix of spirit, authority, and compassion.
In recognition of Sparky’s big day, NFPA is reminding the public that while Sparky has continued to make significant progress in reducing the home fire problem, real risks remain.
A U.S. fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds, on average, in 2024. A home structure fire was reported every 96 seconds, while a home fire death occurred every three hours, and a home fire injury occurred every 59 minutes. In addition, the majority of U.S. fire deaths (70 percent) continues to occur in homes.
“The number of U.S. home fires has declined significantly over the past decades, which reflects significant progress, but the home fire death rate has not seen the same declines in recent years. In fact, you’re more likely to die in a home fire today than in 1980,” said Carli. “These sobering statistics reinforce that our work is far from done.”
As the country celebrates Sparky’s 75th birthday, consider some of his key fire safety messages, which remain essential to home fire safety:
• Install smoke alarms on every level of the home, in each bedroom, and near all sleeping areas.
• Test smoke alarms once a month using the test button.
• Make a home escape plan with all members of your household. Draw a map of the home, marking all doors and windows with a path from each exit to the outside, and choose a meeting place outside in front of the home where everyone will meet upon exiting.
• Practice your escape plan regularly — at least twice a year — with all members of your household.
Visit Sparky’s website at sparky.org/meet-sparky for a wealth of age-appropriate games, videos, apps and other activities that make learning about fire safety easy and fun, along with fun resources and activities that can be used to celebrate his big day.
In addition, Sparky School House offers fire safety lesson plans, resources, and activities for teachers, parents, caregivers and students, many of which can be easily downloaded and shared.
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