During National Fire Prevention Week, volunteers and employees with the American Red Cross New Jersey Region, together with firefighters from Dover Fire Department, taught 1,200 young children in Dover schools how to prepare for, as well as cope during and after, home fires.

The Red Cross teams presented the engaging Red Cross programs, Prepare with Pedro and The Pillowcase Project in both English- and Spanish-language. Pedro the Penguin was also on hand in the gymnasiums of East Dover Elementary School, Academy Street Elementary School and North Dover Elementary School.

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To help everyone in the household learn how to stay safe before, during, and after an emergency, the Red Cross created The Pillowcase Project and Prepare with Pedro, two classroom-based programs designed to teach preparedness to students. Prepare with Pedro is designed for kindergartners through second graders, while The Pillowcase Project is geared toward third through fifth graders.

“Our programs teach children how to act in emergencies such as home fires and hurricanes. They help students understand what is happening around them during an emergency situation and provide coping skills to deal with a stressful situation,” explained Sara Huisking, executive director, American Red Cross of Northern New Jersey. “It was a pleasure to partner with the Dover Fire Department and Dover Public Schools during Fire Prevention Week to help children for be better prepared for home fires.”

Volunteers read about Pedro’s adventures in preparing while the fun-loving penguin engaged with the students. The program took children through training exercises to learn basic preparedness concepts including what a smoke alarm sounds like, what is important to remember in case of a home fire, practicing deep breathing to remain calm during an emergency, and how to talk with adults about their feelings after a stressful experience.

The older children also learned about safety and emotional coping skills, as well as the importance of personal preparedness. Through the presentation, students learned the best ways to stay safe and how to create their own emergency supply kits by packing essential items in a pillowcase for easy transport during a disaster. These children all received a Red Cross pillowcase to take home to personalize and decorate.

After the Red Cross presentations, Dover Fire Chief Jon Sperry and fellow firefighter Eric Cooper demonstrated their fire-fighting gear and presented a quick tour of one of their fire trucks to the awe and delight of the children.

At home, students and their families can continue learning about emergency preparedness through the Prepare with Pedro storybooks, videos and other free resources available for digital download in English and Spanish. There is also a Pedro Fire Safety Challenge for Google Assistant and Alexa-enabled Devices.

To learn more ways that the entire household can prepare for and prevent home fires, visit redcross.org/GetPreparedNJ.