MINNESOTA CHAPTER SIDE BY SIDE DEMO REACHES THOUSANDS
On September 1, the Minnesota Chapter of NFSA reached another milestone, conducting a side-by-side demonstration livestreamed on Facebook. It was the first time Minnesota-based NFSA staff have used the Facebook Live function to reach an international audience.
The occasion of the live demonstration was a press conference to kick off the Minnesota Governor’s Fire Prevention Day at the State Fair. The Fair itself was cancelled this year, but the planners of Fire Prevention Day designed an on-line event. The press conference brought together nearly two dozen organizations to brief the media about the event. The NFSA trailer formed both the backdrop for and the kickoff demonstration for the presser.
NFSA staffers Tom Brace and Tim Butler narrated the side by side demo, Ryan Kunst of the Fire Marshals Association of Minnesota (FMAM) served as the cameraman, and members of the Inver Grove Heights Fire Department provided the water supply, extinguishment, and overhaul functions.
The demonstration itself provided Facebook and media audiences with a powerful visual impact and important fire safety messages: how fast smoke alarms operate, how fast and effective sprinklers are, and how fast and devastating an uncontrolled fire can be. Smoke alarms activated in just 10 seconds after ignition, and the sprinkler activated and controlled the fire in less than 20 seconds. Flashover in the un-sprinklered side of the trailer occurred in just 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
The Facebook Live production was broadcast in real time and shared on several other individual and organizational Facebook pages, including the Minnesota Chapter of NFSA, the Fire Marshals Association of Minnesota, and the Governor’s Fire Prevention Day. Analytics provided by Facebook estimated the number of people reached by our event was nearly 2,200 just 48 hours after the event. Most audience members were from Minnesota, with many others from Tennessee, Texas, and the East Coast. At least one viewer was from the country of India, so our event “went international!”
A picture containing indoor, sitting, teddy, bear Description automatically generatedThe State Fair Fire Prevention Event runs through the end of October, and online activities include fire safety information, videos, games, and quizzes, and a chance to win fire safety kits and tickets to attend the ACTUAL 2021 State Fair! This online event is perfect for short classroom training sessions for schoolteachers or for homebound COVID-19 families looking for a fun, engaging, potentially life-saving activity for all ages! Register and Participate Here
The Minnesota Chapter of the NFSA has been a proud participant in the annual Governor’s Fire Prevention Day at the State Fair for the past 17 years. We are proud to help bring fire safety information and demonstrations to the more than 100,000 who annually attend “The World’s Largest Fire Prevention Event!” Join us this year, and we’ll see you at the Fair!
