March 18 marks the 60th birthday of Sparky the Fire Dog®, the official mascot of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), who has been teaching children, parents and teachers on fire prevention and public safety for the past six decades. To kick-off this year-long celebration the NFPA is launching a “Voice of Sparky” contest to find one special firefighter to be the voice behind this iconic Dalmatian spokesdog.

From February 1 through February 16, career and volunteer firefighters as well as other fire department employees can submit videos of themselves giving their best Sparky impersonation on http://www.nfpa.org/SparkysBirthday. A panel of NFPA judges will select three finalists, and America will get to choose the winner by voting for their favorite video submission on Sparky’s new Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/SparkyTheFireDog, between February 21 and February 28.

The honored firefighter will receive an authentic Sparky the Fire Dog costume, an all-expenses-paid trip to the Boston, Mass. area to record for the NFPA Fire Prevention Week video, and public education materials to continue spreading the word about how to prevent fires in the home.

“Sparky has allowed us to connect with millions of children and their families by making it exciting to learn about fire prevention and safety,” said Lorraine Carli, NFPA’s vice president of communications. “With this anniversary, we aim to reach more children, parents and educators with fun events and new educational programs throughout the year.”

Sparky was created in 1951 for an Advertising Council campaign. Two years later his fire prevention campaign reached more than 68 million people through radio public service announcements and another three million through television. As an influential figure in fire prevention, his success can be attributed to collaboration with firefighters and others to educate the public on important prevention and safety messages. He has even experienced a touch of fame; in the 1980’s, celebrity Dick Van Dyke served as the voice of Sparky to help expand the reach of Sparky’s messages.

Since Sparky’s inception in the 1950’s, the number of fires and fire injuries in the United States has declined, which is due in part to enhanced public education efforts. Today, approximately 3,000 people die each year because of fires and thousands are injured. Sparky’s work continues and is more important than ever because most fires can be prevented when people take personal responsibility and follow a few safety guidelines. Sparky is asking everyone to take a few moments during his special anniversary year to learn what they can do to reduce the number of fires and fire-related injuries.

According to NFPA research, children under five are one and a half times more likely to die in a home fire than the general public. “Sparky plays an important role in communicating fire safety to kids and families. The use of games, characters and children’s activities are key in providing safety messages in fun and entertaining way,” said Carli.

In addition to finding a “voice” for Sparky, NFPA is working with Scholastic to expand curriculum to pre-school students in the fall. The NFPA is also developing programs for high school volunteers to implement, thus reaching more elementary school children who may not have already been introduced to Sparky. “While we are still in the planning phases of all the great ways we’re going to celebrate Sparky’s birthday, we are very excited about what’s to come,” said Carli.

For additional information on the “Voice of Sparky” contest and other Sparky birthday celebrations throughout the year, please visit NFPA’s website at http://www.nfpa.org/SparkysBirthday.

About Sparky the Fire Dog®
Sparky the Fire Dog was created for the National Fire Protection Association in 1951 and has been the organization’s official mascot and spokesdog ever since. He is a widely recognized fire safety icon that is beloved by children and adults alike. Millions have learned about fire safety through educational lessons and materials featuring his image and he is more active than ever today. Sparky frequently visits schools and participates in community events to spread fire safety messages, often accompanied by his firefighter friends. In addition to connecting with the public through public service announcements and his featured role in Fire Prevention Week campaigns each October, he has a very active website, http://www.sparky.org and a Facebook page that was launched in 2011 as part of his 60th anniversary celebration.

About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education. Visit NFPA’s website at http://www.nfpa.org