ESFI utilized funds provided by a 2009 Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency to develop this second installment of our dynamic safety awareness program.
Program materials, starring ESFI's quirky Private I. Plug mascot, deliver critical electrical and fire safety information to elementary school children in grades 3-5, focusing specifically on space heaters, smoke alarms, and safe heating practices.
These resources have been developed in accordance with the National Science Education standards.
Inside you’ll find these materials to help you teach students about fire prevention and electrical safety:
Can you spot the differences between these two houses? Have students put their Safety Detective skills to the test by identifying the important safety features and electrical hazards in the homes featured on this poster.
Use these electrical and fire safety tips, in-class activities, and more to get students excited about keeping safe this winter. Don’t miss the Safety Badge cutout. You don't want your Safety Detectives running around uncertified!
My name is P.I. Plug. I’m a private investigator—I find electrical dangers and fire hazards in and around people’s homes. If you want to help, you’re in luck. Help me search the house for a villain called Escaping Electricity, or E.E. But watch out! E.E. placed hazards in the home—be sure to avoid them so you can stay safe.
This fill-in-the-blanks activity provides images of safety hazards to help students complete the clues that explain their dangers. The clues also lead the Safety Detectives one step closer to finding E.E.!
We must be close to solving this mystery. We’ve searched for clues and interviewed witnesses. Now let’s put together what we’ve learned. Unscramble the words and use your answers to decode the final clue.
Using electricity is something we take for granted, but using it safely is very important. An estimated 53,000 home electrical fires occur in U.S. homes each year. Nearly one-third of these fires happen during the winter months. Most of these can be avoided by taking simple safety precautions.
Please don’t take electrical safety for granted this winter. Use this information from the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) and Scholastic to help safeguard your home against electrical dangers and fire hazards. Taking just a few small steps can make a big impact on your family’s safety.
Keep Your Family Safe
Working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by half. Cut out and post this chart to remind you to test the smoke alarms in your home every month.
Smoke Alarms
Space Heaters