Sparkles Attends the Fire Department Instructor's Conference in Indiana

Sparkles and I traveled to Indiana to attend the Fire Department Instructor's Conference in Indianapolis. We had the most amazing time, seeing old friends and meeting new ones!

Sparkles poses outside the Indiana Conference Center

On Wednesday, Sparkles finally had the opportunity to meet Jake the Fire Dog. Jake teaches fire safety in Michigan.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxSparkles and Jake pose for pictures.

On Thursday, Sparkles and I were at the National Volunteer Fire Council booth.

Saturday we were at the IFSTA booth.

New Newscast Videos Released

We just received these news videos are from Sparkles' visit to Celia Clinton Elementary School on February 24, 2009. To read more about Sparkles' and her help in saving the lives of two children and their families, click HERE.

Sparkles is headed to Indianapolis!

Sparkles is Headed to Indy!

Come visit Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis at the Indiana Convention Center. Please see the schedule below. Hope to see you there!






Thursday, April 23rd
National Volunteer Fire Council
2-5 P.M.
Booth 91

Saturday, April 25th
International Fire Services Training Association
9-12 A.M.
Booth 2450

Authors and Coffee Event Coming Soon

Sparkles and I will be reading an excerpt from our book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog from 6:54-6:59 at Hastings Books in Russellville (AR). Hope to see you there!

New Picture from Justin

Thanks, Justin, for sending Sparkles a picture of you
with your coloring page! We love it! You did a great job!

Would you like to send us your coloring page of Sparkles? You can get your very own coloring page HERE! Send it to sparkles@sparklesthefiresafetydog.com and we'll post it on our blogs!

New Poster for "Paw Signing"

Sparkles and I can't wait for the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis! We will be at the IFSTA and NVFC booths.

Once again, IFSTA has come up with an amazing "Paw Signing" poster!

New Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Coloring Page

Get out the crayons! The new Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog coloring page is here! Click on the picture below to print off your copy and start coloring away!

Thank you to PBS KIDS Sprout for the use of their drawing!

Attention kids, parents, teachers and fire departments. Have you checked out Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' fun fire safety activity and coloring pages? Check them out! We're adding new ones all of the time! Just click on the picture of Sparkles to see more!

Please feel free to add this button to help spread the fire safety message. Together, we can help keep children and their caregivers fire safe!

New Coloring Page for Children

Click on the picture of Firefighter Dayna to get your coloring page!

Attention kids, parents, teachers and fire departments. Have you checked out Sparkles the Fire Safety Dogs' fun fire safety activity and coloring pages? Check them out! We're adding new ones all of the time! Just click on the picture of Sparkles to see more!

Please feel free to add this button to help spread the fire safety message. Together, we can help keep children and their caregivers fire safe!

Having Fun on the K9 Magazine Website

You can create your own cover on the K9 Magazine website with your pet. Here's what our "cover" looks like:

Vote for our cover HERE.

Create your own custom K9 Magazine cover using your photos! click here

Arkansas Literary Festival Brochure Released!

Sparkles and I can't wait to participate in the 2009 Arkansas Literary Festival in Little Rock, April 18th.

Click on the picture on the Arkansas Literary Festival poster to learn more! Sparkles and I hope to see you there!

Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog Book to be Listed as Resource in Upcoming Fire and Burn Safety Program for Preschoolers and Their Families

We are excited that our book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog, is going to be listed as a resource in the The Home Safety Council's new program, Start Safe: A Fire and Burn Safety Program for Preschoolers and Their Families. The Home Safety Council has numerous partners with this project, including the National Head Start Association, Oklahoma State University's Fire Protection Publications, the Weekly Reader, and Tyco. Funded by a Fire Prevention and Safety grant from U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA Office of Grants and Training, the program provides free materials to teach basic fire and burn safety lessons to children ages 4 – 6, along with parenting education on key safety messages. In August 2009, Start Safe packages will be made available to 5,000 members of the HSC Expert Network, including a training DVD for fire departments to learn effective methods for reaching very young children and their families as well as methods to evaluate program effectiveness.

Thank you Celia Clinton Pre-K Students!

Thank you to the pre-k students at Celia Clinton Elementary for Sparkles' new spotted friend!

Sparkles in the April Issue of FIDO Friendly Magazine

Sparkles is so excited to be featured in the April issue of FIDO Friendly magazine!

Sparkles in the News

Sparkles was recently in the Greenwood Courier (AR) and the Greater Tulsa Reporter (OK).

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGreenwood Democrat, March 18, 2009

xxxxxxGreater Tulsa Reporter, Mid-March to Mid-April 2009 Issue

Note from Adam

Received these two nice notes from Adam and his mom, Heather. Adam was the winner of Michelle Brownlow's My Semblance of Sanity blog contest a couple of weeks ago and received lots of goodies from Sparkles. Adam is also a Sproutlet and enjoys watching Sparkles and Spanner's fire safety tips on PBS KIDS Sprout.

Dear FireFighter Dayna~

Thank you very much for 'my mail'. As you can see, I got so surprised to see a package for ME from Sparkles. 'Mama, she even signed it for ME & Brother!!!' I love it when dogs 'talk' to me!

Love,
Adam

Dear Dayna~

We listen/read along with Sparkles about every other day. The package was such a fun present for them and we had to put up the fire alarm RIGHT away so that the firemen 'know where to find my boys'. (Because the one we had already, is NOT the same Mama.) I'm enclosing some pics...1) Adam learning the package is from Sparkles, 2) Dad & Adam reading THE MAIL, 3) Working on his 'firemap'the next morning, still in jammies 'cuz it's 'portant'. Dayna, your strategies work. REALLY work. Because they are simplewords the kids already know. Taught by a dog that is 'real' and not pretend. She has a human that loves her and '
she shows me how I'm soso brave.' You are making a difference and it does matter. Because that means that if something ever happens, my boys will know the words/actions they need to use. Even if I have to remind them, I won't have to teach it to them in the moment.

Heather













Thank you Adam and Heather for sending the nice notes and great pictures!

Firefighter Dayna, Sparkles and Spanner

Sparkles Mentioned in IFSTA's Speaking of Fire Newsletter

Sparkles is mentioned in the Spring 2009 issue of the International Fire Service Training Association's Speaking of Fire Newsletter (page 12).

Click on the picture of the newsletter cover to read the article.

Updated Event List

April 16th

x

Authors and Coffee

6:30 P.M.

Hastings Hardback Cafe

Russellville, Arkansas

x

April 17th

x

North Little Rock Schools

x

April 18th

Arkansas Literary Festival
1:00 P.M.
Historic Arkansas Museum
Little Rock, Arkansas

April 23rd

National Volunteer Fire Council Booth
2:00-5:00 P.M.
Fire Department Instructor's Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana

April 25th

IFSTA Booth
9:00 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.
Fire Department Instructor's Conference
Indianapolis, Indiana

June 6-9

NFPA Conference
Chicago, Illinois

August 24-28

Fire Rescue International
Dallas, Texas

September or October

Showcase on the Mall

Event Sponsored by the Congressional Fire Services Institute

Home Safety Council Education Pavilion

Washington, DC

Sparkles on "Jakezilla" Blog

Sparkles and I were so excited to see a post on the "Mommy Blog", "Jakezilla!" Thank you so much Lora and Jake for sharing the fire safety message!

Jake is a "Sproutlet" and we just love to hear from Sproutlets who watch Sparkles and Spanner's fire safety tips on PBS KIDS Sprout on Demand.

Be sure to visit their site HERE and look for a contest coming really soon on their blog!

Package Arrives from First Alert

First Alert, one of our partners in helping keep children and their caregivers fire safe, sent us a huge package! Sparkles, Spanner, Chief and our new fire safety dog (whom we will be having a contest soon to name!) were really excited to check out the new smoke alarms and Tundras.

x

The smoke alarm is a 10-year tamperproof smoke and fire alarm and the battery never needs replacing! And, BONUS, the smoke alarm mutes unwanted alarms! And the tundra, what can I say, I love the Tundra! To learn more about the Tundra, visit my firesafetyeducator.com blog to learn more!

Now why would we need a whole box of smoke alarms and Tundras? I'm glad you asked! Sparkles and I have made it our mission to keep everyone fire safe and to do this, we are trying to reach the masses. Since 2006, First Alert has been helping us reach as many people as possible with our fire safety efforts, so.... this was the perfect project! SO, if you are a blogger(mommy blogger, dog blogger, author blogger or another type of blogger!) and have a large audience, we want to hear from you! Let's put together some fun contests to promote fire safety (for an example of a contest, visit my friend Michelle's My Semblance of Sanity blog)!

xxxxxxxxxxxSparkles checking out the box from First Alert

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxNext it's Chief's turn to see what's inside

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxThanks First Alert!

Thank you to everyone at First Alert for helping keep children and their caregivers fire safe! You are our Sparkles Fire Safety Champions of the Day!

Sparkles Receives Package from Amber-Mae, Faith, Chloe and Melissa from Malaysia!

Amber-Mae, Chloe, Faith and Melissa, we love you! Thank you so much for the awesome drawing of Sparkles and for your Limited Edition DVD, "Stop" (The proceeds from "Stop" help PAWS dogs and cats for adoption). Visit their page HERE. And if you want to see something really cute, check out Amber's visit to the vet. I have never seen such cute pictures!

Sparkles and I love the drawing and have it hanging right where we can see it when we sit at the computer. : )

If you would like to send us your drawing of Sparkles, we will feature here on our blog!

Sparkles Visits Mountain View, Arkansas

Today Sparkles and I went to beautiful Mountain View, Arkansas. We made a fire safety presentation and signed books for the ladies in attendance.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxAnswering questions

xxxxxxxxxxSparkles had a great time! The weather was perfect!

Book review from Pamela Maynard

Received this review from freelance writer, Pamela Maynard.

xx

"Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog turns a scary subject into a fun learning experience. Sparkles and Firefighter Dayna show children and adults how to be safe during a fire or suspected fire. The real life photos of Sparkles demonstrating fire safety to children are fun to look at as well as instructional.

My six year-old son loved Sparkles so much that we had to read it to his kindergarten class. His classmates were captivated by Sparkles. They wanted me to read about Sparkles again and again. We even went back and discussed every picture. Their favorite picture was Sparkles in his own bed! The fun pictures kept all eyes and attention on the book. The kindergarteners wanted to know if Sparkles was a real dog and if he could come visit them.

Thanks Firefighter Dayna for sharing your special dog with children all over the world. Fire safety has never been so fun!"

xx

Pamela writes childrens stories from a 7.5 acre happy homestead that she shares with her son, husband, 3 dogs, 3 cats and 8 guinea hens in New Hampshire. Pamela's Poultry Pest Patrol article debuts in May 09 GRIT magazine. The Super Grow Machine, Pamela's first published story, appeared in KIDZ RULE, USA magazine 2008. THE KIDS ARK magazine accepted Pamela's story Leo's Lie for their May 2010 issue.

Pam, thanks for the great review! Firefighter Dayna and Sparkles

Sparkles on the My Semblance of Sanity "Mommy Blog"

This morning, Sparkles is featured on her very first "Mommy Blog", My Semblance of Sanity, by Michelle Brownlow. In addition to being a well known mommy blogger, Michelle is an artist, author and freelance columnist. And if that wasn't enough to keep her busy, she has recently launched THE MOM SHOW on YouTube.

Michelle is helping us reach thousands of moms and their families across the country with the fire safety message. Thanks, Michelle!

Be sure to check out Michelle's blog and you can have a chance to win a "Limited Edition" of the book, Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog. This book is a very special "Limited Edition" and is signed by Firefighter Dayna, Firefighter Michael, and "pawed" by Sparkles! You will also receive a First Alert Smoke Alarm, an audio book (made by three generations of firefighters and Sparkles) and a Rush and Rescue Firetruck.

*Congratulations to Adam and Brennan for winning this very special contest!