Dear Parent or Guardian,
On behalf of Waterloo Fire Rescue and the City of Waterloo, we would like to introduce you to our Prevent Accidents Live Safe “Fire PALS” program, a school-based injury prevention program. For more than a decade we have presented our program to thousands of preschool through fifth grade children in Black Hawk County public and parochial schools.
The Fire PALS Program covers the leading causes of death and injuries among children 14 and under in the United States. National statistics reveal that one out of every four children in this age group sustain injuries serious enough to require medical attention each year. The studies also show that 90% of these injuries are preventable with proper education, such as our Fire PALS Program.
The Fire PALS program has been made possible through funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Unintentional Injury Prevention. Waterloo Fire Rescue is the only fire department in the United States to receive funding for this unique unintentional injury prevention program. The funding allows us to meet the program goal of reducing unintentional injuries and death to elementary school-age children of Waterloo and the surrounding area. Furthermore we work with the University of Northern Iowa to conduct periodic evaluations of this program to determine whether the program improves safety knowledge and behaviors in school children. We are confident that this high-impact life safety program will positively impact your child’s life safety habits.
Together, we can continue to work towards Building a Safety-Conscious Community!
If you have any additional questions regarding the Fire PALS program, please do not hesitate to contact us at 319.291.4359.
Sincerely,
Pat Treloar, Chief of Fire Services