NYC Union Suggests 'Stop, Drop And Roll' Phrase Needs to be Secondary to Getting Out Alive
The firefighters union launched a campaign yesterday to stop, drop and throw out the most well known national catchphrase for fire safety.
"Stop, drop and roll . . . this attacks the realities of what fires look like and how to prevent them . . . and, God forbid, should [children] face that situation, they need to know how to get out and get out quickly," said Uniformed Firefighters Association president Steve Cassidy. He endorsed an educational model yesterday that emphasizes what he says is far more practical advice - such as telling kids to get away from a fire as soon as possible, notify others and avoid playing with matches and other combustibles.
The model is taught in a DVD by retired Emmy Award winning weatherman Dr. Frank Field.
Firefighters Kick Off Campaign About Fire Safety
Additional Details from the Associated Press
Current fire safety education is lacking, because it doesn't do enough to really make children understand the risks they face from fire, said Steve Cassidy, president of the Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York. Instead, there are catchy slogans like stop, drop and roll, which is good advice for a situation where someone's clothes catch on fire, but doesn't do anything to help children understand the importance of fire prevention or how to handle it if their homes are burning, he said.
"I think we've got to throw stop, drop and roll out the window and actually inform children what a fire is all about," Cassidy said.
