Top Fire Protection Services in Redding, CA 96002
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Smokey Signals
By Pittman, Dutton, Kirby & Hellums, P.C March 23, 2009
This merchant offers a great selection of smokey bear merchandise and fire prevention products at great prices. Purchases are shipping promptly! ...read more
Smokey Signals
By Passion Parties by Marion February 11, 2009
Great way to teach your kids about fire safety! ...read more
Smokey Signals
By Centerline Homes February 09, 2009
Excellent selection & prices, fast shipping and great customer service! Highly recommended merchant. ...read more
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The History of Smokey Bear
One of the most iconic figures today is Smokey Bear. The friendly bear, meant to educate the public about fire safety and prevention, has been around for years. Where did the legend of Smokey Bear come from? Why a bear? The first fire prevention ads were first released just before WW2. However, with the release of Disney's movie Bambi, some of the movies characters were leant to the ad campaign. These characters were only on loan from Disney and were only used for a year. The writers of the fire prevention ads decided to stick with the already popular animal theme and chose a bear to continue delivering their message. The bear was given the official name of Smokey Bear, although, he is often referred to as Smokey the Bear. Smokey's name was inspired by "Smoky" Joe Martin, a New York City Fire Fighter who suffered great injuries in the line of duty. The first Smokey Bear poster was released on August 9, 1944, and this is considered his birthday. This poster depicted the bear wearing jeans and a campaign hat. He was pouring water over a campfire, the message, "Smokey says – Care will prevent 9 out of 10 forest fires!" Hotfoot Teddy, a real black bear that was rescued from a forest fire in the Lincoln National Forest, was later renamed Smokey Bear after the popular fire prevention campaign. The cub had climbed a tree to escape the fire, but his paws and hind legs had been badly burned. He was taken in by the ranger that rescued him, and became the living legend known as Smokey Bear. After his death in 1976, the bear’s remains were buried in what is now the Smokey Bear Historical Park. Smokey Bear's career really took off in the 1950's. During this era, Smokey was the star of a radio show, comic strips, and cartoons. Smokey was even the subject of a popular song! Some famous people lending a voice to Smokey Bear are Jackson Weaver, Jim Cummings, and most recently, actor Sam Elliot. The 50's also brought about the release of the Smokey Bear doll. The doll came complete with a mail in application to become a junior forest ranger. This lead to Smokey Bear getting his own zip code, 20252. Because of Smokey Bear's popularity, the United States Congress passed The Smokey Bear Act in 1952. This Act placed Smokey Bear under the control of the Secretary of Agriculture. The Act also allowed the use of Smokey's royalties to be used in furthering education about fire prevention. This Act also protects Smokey Bears name and image. Smokey celebrated his 50th anniversary in 1994 and was featured on a US postage stamp. For Smokey's 60th anniversary, a new television commercial was released. This commercial showed a group of forest animals giving Smokey a surprise birthday party. Smokey is blindfolded, led to the party, smells the smoke from his birthday candles, and quickly puts out the fire. After seeing his mistake, Smokey apologizes to the group. The ad was a huge success and very memorable. Smokey Bear's popularity hasn't diminished over the years. As a matter of fact, the popular slogan "Only you can prevent forest fires" can be finished by about 95% of the people involved in a survey. The slogan itself was changed to "Only you can prevent wildfires" in April, 2001, but the impact is still the same. Smokey Bear is one of the most popular icons that there is. It doesn't matter if you were a child in the 50's, or presently a child, odds are you know who Smokey Bear is and recognize him on sight. Smokey Bear has had a long and very successful career. His campaign in fire prevention has reached millions of people and has educated just as many. With the success of the fire prevention ads, Smokey Bear has become a household name. All the proceeds from the sale of any Smokey Bear merchandise are used to educate the public about fire safety and prevention, making Smokey Bear a true success story. One little bear has managed to save lives, save forests, and save countless animals. Because of Smokey Bear, you will always remember, "Only you can prevent wildfires." ...read more
By Smokey Signals April 18, 2009
Smokey Bear Park
The legend of Smokey Bear is one that most people, young and old, are familiar with. The Smokey Bear Historical Park simply showcases the life and legacy of Smokey Bear. Built in his honor, the park continues the tradition that was started with a fire prevention campaign. The little black bear that was rescued from a forest fire with burns, became the living mascot of the Smokey Bear campaign. Because of the bear's rescue, a living icon was able to be associated with the already popular posters. This helped make Smokey Bear real in the eyes of the public, and his message very important. Smokey Bear Park is named after the icon, Smokey Bear. Smokey Bear's legend lives on in this historical park located in the heart of Capitan, New Mexico. The Smokey Bear Park was completed in 1979, and was in fact built to honor Capitan's favorite son, Smokey Bear. The little black bear cub rescued from a forest fire. Along with picnic areas and playgrounds, the Smokey Bear Park is home to a lot of Capitan, New Mexico's history. The original train depot that ran through Capitan is located inside the park. There are also several exhibits featuring six of the vegetative life zones found in New Mexico. The Smokey Bear Park is also home to exhibits dedicated to forest health. Of course it wouldn't be Smokey Bear Park without exhibits about forest fire and fire prevention. There are exhibits dedicated to wild land/urban interface issues, forest fires, the history of the Cooperative Forest Fire Prevention Program, and fire ecology. All these exhibits are for the purpose of forest fire prevention and forest conservation. Issues that would be of great importance to Smokey Bear. The park also has an outdoor amphitheatre that is used to educate school groups about fire safety and prevention. When visiting the park, one can expect a peaceful and beautiful environment. The exhibits inside the park are interesting and educational. While there, you can even visit the grave site of Smokey Bear. The site is marked with a memorial plaque. The plaque itself gives a brief history of Smokey Bear and his legend. Smokey Bear's message about fire prevention is just as important today as it was in the early 1940's. That is when the first Smokey Bear ad campaigns made an appearance. The Smokey Bear historical park is used as a tool to educate the public about fire prevention in a natural and fun environment. It helps to be able to visualize what you are trying to save and that is exactly what the park allows one to do. The Smokey Bear Park is open to the public year round from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. The park is located of highway 380, 118 Smokey Bear Blvd., in the heart of the village of Capitan. There is a small admittance fee and Smokey Bear Historical Park is operated by EMNRD-Forestry Division. Smokey Bear Park is maintained as an educational park. The park is meant to educate the public of issues dealing with forest fires and the prevention of. The park is a land mark built in the memory of the real Smokey Bear, a survivor of a forest fire in the nearby mountains. Located in Capitan, New Mexico, the Smokey Bear Park is a beautiful place to spend an afternoon with the family while learning some valuable lessons through the use of exhibits, and outdoor theatre. The admission fee is small and well worth the price for a visit to this historical park. ...read more
By Smokey Signals April 18, 2009
Bedroom Fire Safety
A fire in the home or work place can be a scary and devastating experience. However, if you have practiced good fire safety, you will overcome a fire with little or no damage to yourself, loved ones, or personal property. The outbreak of a fire can be handled quickly and efficiently if you know a few basics and put them to work in your home or work place. Install smoke detectors, create an escape plan, and be sure to purchase and maintain a fire extinguisher. A fire extinguisher does exactly what its name says, it extinguishes fire. An extinguisher is a cylindrical hand held device that contains agents that if used properly can put out a small fire in the home or work place and minimize damage. Fire extinguishers are meant to be used as a way to stop and control small fires in an emergency situation. It works by using dry chemicals, foams, wet chemicals, water, or carbon dioxide that will put the fire out. WHAT TYPES OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS ARE THERE AND HOW DO THEY WORK? There are several different classes of fire extinguishers available. The class of the fire extinguisher is determined by what type of fires the extinguisher is capable of putting out. There are also extinguishers that are multi function. This means that they are capable of extinguishing fires from different accelerants. Fire extinguishers are marked by symbols and pictures for their intended uses. This is how an extinguisher is classed. CLASS A EXTINGUISHERS Class A extinguishers are intended for ordinary solid combustibles. A good way to remember this is that a class A extinguisher is good for any material that leaves ash, so think A for ash. Class A extinguishers are marked with a green triangle and usually have a picture of a burning trash can or a burning pile of wood. CLASS B EXTINGUISHERS Class B extinguishers are marked with a red square, and has pictures of a fuel container and burning puddle. Class B extinguishers are used to put out fires caused by flammable liquids or gasses. A good way to remember this to think B for anything in a barrel (gas, oil, etc.) CLASS C EXTINGUISHERS Class C extinguishers are used to put out fires caused from anything electrical. A good way to remember this is to think C for current, as in electrical current. Class C extinguishers are marked by a blue circle and a picture of an electric plug wand burning outlet. CLASS D EXTINGUISHERS Class D extinguishers are used to put out fires caused by combustible metals. These extinguishers are marked with a yellow pentagram (star) with pictures of a burning gear and bearing. Remember class D extinguishers by thinking Ding things. CLASS K EXTINGUISHERS Class K extinguishers are kitchen extinguishers. They are used to put out fires caused from burning cooking oil and fats. Class K extinguishers are marked by a black hexagon with pictures of a burning pot. Just think K for kitchen. There are two types of fire extinguishers, stored pressure and generated pressure. A stored pressure extinguisher is one where the expellant is stored in the same canister as the firefighting agent itself. Depending on the type of firefighting agent used in the extinguisher, the propellant will vary; however, nitrogen is typically used. A generated pressure extinguisher is one that has a cartridge that contains the expellant. The cartridge is pierced when the extinguisher is used allowing the propellant and firefighting agent to mix. These types of extinguishers are not as common as the stored pressure units and are mainly used in industrial settings where they are used more frequently. These types of extinguishers use carbon dioxide as opposed to nitrogen as a propellant, and have the advantage of a quick recharge. This allows the operator of the extinguisher to use the unit, recharge it quickly, and return to the fire. There are also two types of extinguishers, hand held, and cart mounted units. Hand held extinguishers can weigh up to 30 pounds, but are easily transported by hand. Cart mounted extinguishers weigh more than 50 pounds and are generally found in construction sites, marinas, heliports, and air runways. Extinguishers, no matter what the variety, can be very useful in saving lives, and minimizing damage to your home or work place. Be sure to keep your extinguishers in handy spots and keep them maintained. Local fire departments will usually check your extinguishers to ensure that they are working properly. ...read more
By Smokey Signals March 19, 2009