Jamie McIntyre, Community Risk Reduction Manager, 509.625.7058
Monday, November 1, 2021 at 12:06 p.m.
The City of Spokane Fire Department (SFD) has been selected to pilot and assist in the development of Sound Off Online. Sound Off Online is a virtual platform that connects fire professionals with second and third-grade teachers to deliver a leading-edge fire and risk prevention curriculum. The pilot also assembles state teams of fire educators to consolidate data and track the program's progress throughout the United States.
Six jurisdictions were selected to participate on the development team, and our community was chosen along with:
This program collaborates with several agencies, with Young Minds Inspired (YMI) at the forefront. YMI will be responsible for bringing Sound Off Online to life, beginning with a test run in Spokane in 2022. Other collaborators include Appy and Associates, LLC, Spokane Public Schools, WA State Fire Marshal's Office, and others.
To our knowledge, a national program online for teachers, fire agencies, and students that focuses on fire education using this technology has not been attempted. However, the goal is big and ambitious--and entirely analogous with our mission. It is designed to test leverage expertise of the diverse disciplines and learn from the dialogue, inquiries, discoveries, and evidence in the study of early learning, risk reduction, and fire education.
More information will be available when the rollout is ready.
