Monday, October 26, 2009

Wendy's Animal Talk Fire Prevention Month Giveaway Tomorrow!


Just a reminder that tomorrow is the big day for the Fire Prevention Month Giveaway Drawing on Wendy's Animal Talk!

To celebrate Fire Prevention Month, readers and listeners will have the opportunity to win a special edition copy of the children’s fire safety book and audio book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog from Wendy’s Animal Talk and Firehouse Dog Publishing.

This prize package, worth over $135, includes a copy of Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, autographed by children's author, Firefighter Dayna Hilton, and "pawed" by Sparkles. The package also includes several life saving products from our good friends at First Alert, including a smoke alarm, carbon monoxide alarm, Tundra™ Fire Extinguishing Spray and escape ladder!

The drawing will be held tomorrow on Wendy's Animal Talk Radio where Firefighter Dayna will be Wendy's guest, coming LIVE to you from Los Angeles! Be sure to click HERE to find out how you can win these great live-saving items and please tell your friends! Best of Luck!

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Nice article on Firehouse.com

Thanks to Susie Nicol for writing this really nice article about Sparkles and my fire safety efforts. Firehouse.com has always be very pro-active about fire prevention and Sparkles and I Firehouse.com for all that they do to share the fire safety message!

To read the article, click HERE.

Friday, October 16, 2009

An incredible day!


Recently I was invited by President H.W. Bush (the 41st) to attend the Points of Light Presidential Forum on Service with him and President Barack Obama at Texas A&M University and today was the big day! This celebration celebrated the 20th anniversary of the prestigious Points of Light Award.

Johnson County RFD #1’s Fire Safety Team was awarded the Points of Light Award by President George H.W. Bush on June 8, 2006. Each year, Johnson County RFD #1 firefighters and Fire Corps donate over 6,000 hours to the department's fire safety program.

Before the event started, I had the honor of sharing with everyone in attendance the story of Johnson County RFD #1's Fire Safety Team (comprised of firefighters and Fire Corps members) and the efforts to keep everyone fire safe.

I was grateful to have the opportunity to share our experience with everyone present so that they would know what a tangible difference that not only firefighters, but also Fire Corps volunteers, can make in a community.

Kari Wood, a former director of RFD #1 Fire Corps and now program coordinator for the national Fire Corps office, attended the ceremony on behalf of the RFD #1’s Fire Corps. We were indeed honored to be recognized by not only President George H.W. and Mrs. Barbara Bush again but this time by President Obama. Not only were the Bush's there with the President, but past A&M President Secretary of Defense Gates and Senator Sam Dunn - among many other dignitaries. We were honored when we were asked to stand and be recognized with the other Points of Light Award winners. Here is some great info on the event: http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/64655067.html






Monday, October 12, 2009

Note from Mrs. Futia


Received this very nice note from Mrs. Futia, a first grade teacher who attended one of my presentations at the New York State Public Educator's Conference, "Hi Dayna, I attended your presentations at the NYS Public Educators' Conference in the spring. Just wanted you to know how much we are all enjoying your videos! I shared your website & Sprout links with the other kindergarten & grade one teachers. My students are Sparkles fans! Our best to you and the dogs. Keep up the good work!"

Elisa Futia, Edward J Arthur Elementary - Athens NY, Elsmere Fire Aux & Selkirk Fire Aux - Bethlehem, NY.

If you get a chance, check out Ms. Futia's really nice website for her students and their families HERE.

Thank you for your nice note Ms. Futia! You and your class at Edward J. Arthur Elementary are our newest Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Fire Safety Champions!

Tango Helping Share the Fire Safety Message

Last week was Tango's first opportunity to help share the fire safety message. Enjoy the video!

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog ranked #3 on Amazon.com for Children's Firefighting Books!

Remember the dream of our book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, being in the top 100 of Amazon.com children's firefighting books a couple of weeks ago? Wanted to share that it is now ranked #3 on Amazon.com for Children's Firefighting Books at the moment and #59,007 on Amazon.com's Best Book sales rank! Helping keep children and their caregivers fire safe, that's what it's all about!


Tuesday, October 6, 2009

A Big High Paw to Dawn Meehan!

One of my FAVORITE bloggers on the whole face of the planet is Dawn Meehan ("Because I Said So Blog"). Yesterday Dawn shared the "Change Your Batteries" Sprout fire safety tip. Thank you Dawn for helping spread the fire saf...ety message! Sparkles has made you the newest Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' Fire Safety Champion!

Have Fun Chica and Kevin!


Good luck to our good friends, Kevin and Chica from the Sunny Side Up Show on Sprout! Firefighter Dayna and I hope you have fun this week sharing the fire safety message. Learning about fire safety is so much fun!

To learn more about this exciting project, click HERE!

Children's Book Author Dayna Hilton Scheduled to be on the Children Authors Show


On October 14th and 15th, Children's Author Show Radio will broadcast an interview about our book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. Click on the link, then find the Children's Author Show link. Hear all about Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and how the book came to be!

Thank you to the FireFamily at Stop, Drop and Roll Blog

Thanks to the FireFamily at the Stop, Drop and Blog for sharing our fire safety efforts! We love this blog and Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and I have have been following it for sometime. We appreciate Firemom, Firedad, BigBrother and LittleBrother for all that you do to help promote fire safety! Stop, Drop and Blog are now Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' Fire Safety Champions!

Thank you Together Time 4 Families Blog!

What is so wonderful about being an fire safety educator, is seeing the big hearts that people have! Thank you to Susan at Together Time 4 Families blog for helping Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and me spread the fire safety message! On the Together Time 4 Families blog, you will find parenting tips and activities to do with your young child that promote literacy and foster a love for books! Congratulations to Together Time 4 Families on being our new Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Fire Safety Champion! If you would like to be a Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Fire Safety Champion, all that you have to do is help us spread the fire safety message by adding my fire safety webpage and/or blogs to your site!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Tango in the Fire Safety Awareness Parade

Yesterday Tango walked with me during the Seventh Annual Fire Safety Awareness Parade in Clarksville. What was amazing, is that it didn't even phase him that sirens were blaring from 39 fire trucks and emergency vehicles! Gotta love that great training (thanks Kari, Jerry and Elaine!)

Firehouse Dog Publishing, LLC® on Facebook!

Join the Firehouse Dog Publishing, LLC® Facebook page to learn all about this publishing house and its efforts to help promote fire safety!
Click on the button below to join!

Children's Author Firefighter Dayna Hilton on KXIO


Wanted to post the interview with Don Johnson on KXIO October 2nd. Had a wonderful time visiting with Don on "Eye on the River Valley" about what Sparkles and I have been up to sharing the fire safety message.

To hear this fun interview, click HERE.

A special thank you to Cortney Lanphear from KXIO for recording this interview for us!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Sprout Fire Prevention Week Fire Safety Promos

Below you will find three promos that Sprout has been running in anticipation for Fire Prevention Week next week. Sprout has some pretty exciting things planned!







To learn more about this exciting week, visit
HERE!

Thank you Dragonflies 'n Daydreams Blog!


Thank you to Dragonflies 'n Daydreams for helping spread the fire safety message! You are our Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' Fire Safety Champions of the day!

Sparkles' Picture on Times Square in New York City!

Have you ever had one of those days where you felt like you needed someone to pinch you to see if it's real? Well, today I am having one of those days!

Thanks to the good folks at Sprout, a picture of Sparkles, Spanner and I appeared on a jumbotron in Times Square! Sprout has been very pro-active in helping share the fire safety message, and the dogs and I are so very grateful to have partnered with them on this important project!



And, even more good news! The photo also appeared on a jumbtron in Las Vegas!


Learn more about the Sprout fire safety project HERE.

Thank you Sprout for all that you do to help Sparkles, Spanner, and me and all of the firefighters out there to help keep children fire safe!

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Tango Returns from Texas!

I was really excited when my good friend Tango returned from Texas! Tango went away a dog and returned a Fire Safety Dog! Thank you to Kari, Jerry and Elaine!

Pay Tribute to a Firefighter in Your Life!


Wow! Sparkles and I are so excited! One of our favorite things to do is to partner with organizations to work together to help spread the fire safety message.

Thanks to the good folks at The Old Schoolhouse, they helped spread the fire safety message to all of their readers! And, the best part is that they having a super cool contest! What is really nice, is that you can pay tribute to that special firefighter in your life.

Check back soon to find free resources for Fire Prevention Week on the Old Schoolhouse website!

Thank you kidsfirefighter.com!

A special thank you to kidsfirefighter.com for sharing information on the Sprout® fire safety tip project next week! Dave and Mathew are always very helpful and Sparkles and I have made them the latest Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Fire Safety Champions! Thanks for helping us keep children fire safe guys!

If you would like to help us spread the fire safety message by adding our fire safety sites to your webpage and /or blogs, please let us know! Maybe you can be the next Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Fire Safety Champion!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Book Trailer on Mayra's Secret Bookcase and Pets and Their Authors Blogs


Thanks to Mayra's Secret Bookcase and Pet's and Their Authors blog for blogging about our new book trailer! Thanks to Mayra and Amigo for helping spread the fire safety message!

New Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' Fire Safety Champion's


High paw to the latest Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' Fire Safety Champions: Southborough Fire Department, Linda Hubley, Southborough News, Evonne Carawan, Kiyoko Czech, Susan Eicher Mamber, Wendy Nan Rees, Cappy, Mayra Calvani and Amigo! If you help spread the word about Sparkles and her fire safety efforts, you can become a Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Champion too! Just let us know what you have done to help spread the fire safety message!


To see the list of Sparkles the Fire Safey Dog Champion's, click on the picture of Sparkles.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

New Updated Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Book Trailer

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and I are pleased to share our brand new Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog book trailer! To date, we have sold over 10.000 copies of our children's fire safety book. This book trailer has surprises, including Sparkles assisting with a fire safety presentation. Enjoy!

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and Firefighter Dayna to Share Fire Safety Tips on Sprout®


Yesterday Sprout released this press release!

SPROUT® CELEBRATES NATIONAL FIRE PREVENTION WEEK WITH AWARD-WINNING FIREFIGHTER DAYNA HILTON AND SPARKLES THE FIRE SAFETY DOG

Week-Long Event on Sprout's Sunny Side Up Show Sponsored by State Farm® to Feature Exclusive, New CG-Animated Episodes of Fireman Sam™, Fire Safety Tips and More !


Philadelphia, PA – September 22, 2009 – /PRNewswire/ — Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, will celebrate National Fire Prevention Week on The Sunny Side Up Show with games, activities, crafts and preschool-friendly fire safety tips from award-winning firefighter Dayna Hilton and her trained Dalmatian, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. Sponsored by State Farm, this special themed week on the live Sunny Side Up Show begins on Monday, October 5 at 9:00 a.m. E.T. and will also feature exclusive, new CG-animated episodes of Fireman Sam™.
Dayna and Sparkles will share fire safety tips such as:

· Get Low and Go – If you see or smell smoke, drop on all fours…the air is cleaner and cooler down by the floors…get low and go!
· Change Your Batteries – Time for change! The reason is safety. The fall season is when families change batteries in their smoke alarms again.
· Be Smart Before Fires Start – To stay safe, here's something you can do… stay away from hot things that can hurt you. Be smart before fires start!

"Illustrating simple, informative and life-saving messages in a fun and memorable way is what helps saves lives," said Dayna Hilton, firefighter, author and recipient of the 2009 National Fire Protection Association Educator of the Year Award. "Children under the age of five are more vulnerable to injury or death in a fire emergency than any other age group, so it's never too soon to start teaching your kids about fire safety."

"We're excited to be joining forces with Firefighter Dayna and our sponsor State Farm to share these important fire safety messages on Sprout," said Andrew Beecham, senior vice president of programming at Sprout. "Sprout is all about creating a fun, interactive experience for parents and kids to share together, so it's great when we have an opportunity to produce a noteworthy themed week like this on our live Sunny Side Up Show."

National Fire Prevention Week on Sprout wouldn't be complete without Fireman Sam, the Ultimate Hero Next Door. Fireman Sam has recently undergone a significant program refresh with the launch of this all new CG animated television series that features new characters, new seaside destinations and daring new rescue missions. Based in the picturesque town of Pontypandy, where they never seem to have a quiet day, Fireman Sam is often called to the rescue. Each episode communicates a valuable lesson for children regarding fire safety and social responsibility for the community. The new CG-animated episodes of Fireman Sam debuted exclusively in the US on Sprout this September.

For additional information on Sprout programs or schedules, or to play games, download free coloring pages or find great activities for kids, visit SproutOnline.com. To find out where Sprout is available in your area, call 1.8.SPROUT.411 or go to SproutPlease.com.

For more information on Firefighter Dayna, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog or the award-winning children's book, Sparkles The Fire Safety Dog, go to http://www.firehousedogpublishing.com/ or http://www.sparklesthefiresafetydog.com/.

About Sprout®
PBS KIDS Sprout, the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for kids ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers, was created as a partnership among Comcast Corporation, HIT Entertainment, PBS and Sesame Workshop. Since debuting its video on demand (VOD) service in April 2005, Sprout has become the #1 On Demand service for younger children, generating over half a billion views. The 24-hour digital channel, which launched in September 2005 along with the website (SproutOnline.com), is the only channel that follows the day of child from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive programming. Currently, Sprout is available in 47 million unique households.

The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based children's shows includes: Sesame Street®, Bob the Builder™, Barney & Friends™, The Wiggles®, Thomas & Friends™, Angelina Ballerina™, Caillou®, The Berenstain Bears™, Dragon Tales™, Make Way For Noddy™, Fireman Sam™, Fifi and the Flowertots™ and more.
About State Farm®

State Farm insures more cars and homes than any other insurer in the U.S., is the leading insurer of watercraft and is also a leading insurer in Canada. State Farm's 17,700 agents and 68,600 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 78.7 million auto, fire, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and more than 1.9 million bank accounts. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 31 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit statefarm.com® or in Canada statefarm.ca®.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Author Dayna Hilton on Authors Read October 26th

Author Firefighter Hilton will be reading her award winning, life saving children's fire safety book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, on Authors Read October 26th.

Click here to learn more!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Ranked #73,960 today on Amazon.com!

The children's book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog was ranked #73,960 today on Amazon.com!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Article from the March/April Issue of FIDO Friendly Magazine


Thanks to everyone at FIDO Friendly Magazine for sharing the file to an article that appeared about Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog in their March/April issue. As always, we appreciated FIDO Friendly Magazine helping us spread the fire safety message!

Click on the magazine cover to the right or click HERE to read the article.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Book Review by DogSport Magazine

The nice folks at DogSport Magazine sent a copy of their review from May/June issue. Click on the picture of the cover to read the review.

Thanks to everyone at DogSport for the great review and for helping spread the fire safety message!

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Pages from the Children's Fire Safety Book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog

Here's a sneak peek at a couple of pages from the children's fire safety book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog.

Be sure to visit our website to learn more about this life saving tool!

9/11 Memorial Service at the National Fire Academy

Wanted to share a link to a video of the memorial service at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg. Maryland that I took for Firehouse.com. It was truly a moving ceremony (my eyes leaked). I have forever etched into my memory the day that I played my bagpipes at the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation 9/11 Memorial Service in Washington, DC. on October 2001. Words can't even begin to explain how I felt that day.

To view the video, click HERE.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Reviewed by Children's Dog Books and Reviews

Thank you to Charlotte Mielziner at Children's Dog Books and Reviews blog for the wonderful book review and for helping us spread the fire safety message!

Charlotte is a mom, writer, speaker, dog trainer and member of Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators. Charlotte is also a premier writer at Helium and Animal Behavior College. The dog world knows Charlotte more as an AKC Rally judge, certified in canine behavior from Purdue University and creator of the Safety Sam Dog Bite Prevention Program.

We will soon be interviewing Charlotte to learn more about the Safety Sam Dog Bite Prevention Program. Sparkles and I love learning about programs that help keep people safe!

To read the book review, click HERE.

Friday, September 4, 2009

Fire Safety Education Tips for Teachers on New Teacher Resource Center Blog


Thank you to Dorit Sasson, Founder and Director of the New Teacher Resource Center, for helping Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and I spread the fire safety message! We had a great time working on this article for Dorit's site, in which we share fire safety education tips for teachers. I thoroughly LOVED working on this project so much, that when I intially sat down to write, I had 10 pages before I knew it! Now I almost have enough to write another article and can't wait to write an e-book!

Check out the article on the New Teacher Resource Center Blog
HERE.

Thank you Dorit for helping keep children and their caregivers fire safe!