Committee: Public Education Committee

2025 Mission: 
The mission of the Public Education Committee is to support the safety education process of the fire service and communities of Minnesota in order to reduce the loss of life and property from preventable events through the use of technology, information and resources.

2025 Report: 
The Kitchen Fire Safety Live Demonstration Units have remained a great asset to the association, and they are available to MSFCA members for rent. The units are used to demonstrate what happens when you add water to a grease fire. Utilizing grease in a pan, the fire extends out of the unit when once water is poured into the pan. This provides a strong visual message on the dangers of kitchen fires and what can happen when water is used instead of some type of lid. Both trailers are regularly rented throughout the summer months. One unit is housed at the Buffalo Fire Department and the second unit housed at the Maple Grove Fire Department. Please reserve one of the units by utilizing the links on the MSFCA website under Resources and Rentals.

We continue to expand the augmented reality (AR) project started in the fall of 2023. What began as a product to promote safety while out trick-or-treating, this has grown into a SmARt Kids Fire Prevention Tool. This tool can be used for any community education event or tied to your home safety visits and community risk reduction programs. The tool can teach residents and students about the 3-foot safety circle around the kitchen stove and can teach children and adults the importance of crawling low under smoke in the event of a fire. There are also fun interactive learning opportunities. This project is continuing to expand with added components from fire departments in California and Colorado recently supplying resources for additional educational components.

We hope to see you during Governor’s Fir Prevention Day at the Minnesota State Fair or at the MSFCA Annual Conference in Duluth. Please reach out to the committee or contact the office with any questions.

Public Education Committee File Library