New Sparkles' Kids Zone Column!

New Sparkles' Kids Zone column for children on firelife.com! In this column, we visit about Skyping with the Fire Safety Dogs!

Click on the picture to join the fun! 

Sparkles' Clubhouse Receives Finishing Touches!

After five days of working on staining Sparkles' Clubhouse's porch, it is finally finished! 

Thank you to our friends at First Alert for this wonderful building given to the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation to carry on Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog's legacy and to help the Fire Safety Dogs and I share fire safety. We are truly grateful!

Tango the Fire Safety Dog to be on FOX 23 (Tulsa)

Tango the Fire Safety Dog will be appearing on FOX 23 in Tulsa, June 13th, on their FOX 23 News Daybreak show with anchor Michelle Linn.

The segment is scheduled to be on at 7:45 A.M. CST. Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation's Executive Director, Dayna Hilton will be sharing the work of the foundation and two of the foundation's programs: Sparkles' Safety Spot and Sparkles' Fire Safety Skype Tour. In addition, Tango will be demonstrating how to crawl low under smoke.

If you are in the Tulsa area, be sure to tune in!

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Sparkles' Safety Spot is sponsored by First Alert

Sparkles' Fire Safety Skype Tour is sponsored by State Farm and First Alert.

Photos Arrived Today

Some pictures of Sparkles' Memorial Service last year just surfaced. Will be posting most of them later, but did want to go ahead and share a few. Sparkles' Memorial Service was held at the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, MD. The service was held on "Sparkles' Pathway." Sparkles' Pathway is part of the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation's Walk of Honor. To watch a video of her service or to learn more about Sparkles' Pathway, please click HERE.

Wayne Powell

Dr. Kirby Kiefer, Deputy Superintendent, National Fire Academy

Ken Farmer, Branch Chief, United States Fire Administration

Linda Hurley, Director of Survivor Programs, National Fallen Firefighter Foundation

Mike Weller

Ryan Czech and his mother, Kiyoko. Ryan continues to be Sparkles' #1 fan.

Firefighter Dayna Hilton

Judi Whitlow and Linda Hurley from the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation along with Firefighter Dayna Hilton.

Siren the Fire Safety Dog

Siren the Fire Safety Dog

Thank you to Tim O'Dowd for the wonderful pictures.

Vote for Tango the Fire Safety Dog for the Hero Dog Award!

Do you believe in the work that the Fire Safety Dogs do? Then please vote for Tango the Fire Safety Dog in the Emerging Hero Dog category in the Hero Dog Awards. The more votes that Tango receives, the more awareness will be raised not only about the work on the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation, but about fire safety in general. Please vote today and every day from now until June 30th! 

While you are at it, please vote for our friends who have some very important causes too! 

Tango (Emerging Hero Dog)

Shadow (Law Enforcement/Arson Dog) 

Lily: (Search and Rescue Dog)

Sparkles' Safety Spot Tomorrow! Episode 39!

Tomorrow will be the 39TH EPISODE of Sparkles' Safety Spot! Join us tomorrow morning for Sparkles' Safety Spot at 9 A.M. CST, live from Sparkles' Clubhouse! Brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe™ Foundation and First Alert.

If unable to see the video, please click HERE.

Fire Safety Tip 152: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you that when using a grill, be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions on its setup and maintenance.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Fire Safety Tip 151: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you that when using a propane grill, if you smell gas while cooking, get away from the grill right away and call the fire department. DO NOT MOVE THE GRILL for your own safety.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Firefighter Dayna and the Fire Safety Dogs on Talk2theAnimals Radio

Thank you to Janet Roper from Talk2theAnimals Radio for having us tonight! We had a BLAST!

Our interview begins around 12:45.

Listen to internet radio with Talk2theAnimals on Blog Talk Radio

Getting Ready to Go On Live on Talk2theAnimals!

The Fire Safety Dogs and I are so excited that we are going to be on Talk2theAnimals Radio in a couple minutes! The show will be on at 8:00 P.M. CST and we hope that you can join us. We will be visiting with host Janet Roper about how the Fire Safety Dogs help teach children fire safety.

Join the Facebook event page HERE.

The Show Page is HERE.

Fire Safety Tip 150: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you to be safe when using propane grills.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Remembering Spanner the Fire Safety Dog

Three years ago today, my baby girl, Spanner, crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. Spanner was an amazing dog. She was found on the side of the road and was within hours of being put to sleep, when my husband and I adopted her. She got along amazingly well with Sparkles and the two went onto to do amazing things together, including being on PBS KIDS Sprout, FOX and Friends, and participating in a Congressional Briefing, among other things. 

Spanner LOVED very small children and loved being squeezed by them. Spanner died an unexpected death and left a huge whole in my heart, but I will never forget her and her love for helping teach fire safety. Love ya girl.

Video of Spanner learning how to "Dial" 911 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33lVMbm0Y78

Have a Safe Memorial Day

Fire Safety Tip 149: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you to never add starter fluid when the coals or kindling has already been ignited. NEVER use an other flammable or combustible liquid other than charcoal starter fluid.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Sparkles' Clubhouse Gets an Updated Look!

Sparkles' Clubhouse's front porch and steps are getting a brand new coat of white stain. So far, it has taken three days and we only have one more day to go! The Fire Safety Dogs have been supervising the job and they think it looks great!

Cleaning off the front porch.

Front porch clean as a whistle!

Front porch ready for white stain.

Third coat of white stain. Only one more to go!

Thanks once again to our sponsors at First Alert for Sparkles' Clubhouse! The clubhouse has enabled the Fire Safety Dogs and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation to reach thousands of children with the fire safety message!

Fire Safety Tip 148: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you that when grilling with charcoal, to only use proper starter fluid. Be sure to keep the starter fluid out of the reach of children and away from heat sources.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Fire Safety Tip 147: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you to only grill outdoors when using charcoal.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Fire Safety Dogs on Talk2theAnimals Radio Next Tuesday!

The Fire Safety Dogs and I are so excited that we are going to be on Talk2theAnimals Radio on Tuesday, May 29th! The show will be on at 8:00 P.M. and we hope that you can join us. We will be visiting with host Janet Roper about how the Fire Safety Dogs help teach children fire safety.

Join the Facebook event page HERE.

The Show Page is HERE.

Fire Safety Tip 146: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you to periodically remove great or fat buildup in trays below your grill. Removing the buildup will help keep it being ignited by a hot grill.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Today! Sparkles' Safety Spot!

Join us this morning for Sparkles' Safety Spot, live from Sparkles' Clubhouse! Learning about fire safety can be fun boys and girls! The show starts at 9:00 AM CST! Watch it HERE live! 

Sparkles' Clubhouse

Brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and sponsored by our friends at First Alert.

Sparkles' Safety Spot Tomorrow!

Tomorrow will be the 38TH EPISODE of Sparkles' Safety Spot! Join us tomorrow morning for Sparkles' Safety Spot at 9 A.M. CST, live from Sparkles' Clubhouse! Brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe™ Foundation and First Alert.

If unable to see the video, please click HERE.

Fire Safety Tip 145: 365

A long-handled grilling tool would make a great gift to help keep the person grilling safe! The long handles give the chef clearance from the heat and flames when cooking.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Tango the Fire Safety Dog meets K-9 Lily!

Whoo hoo! When Tango the Fire Safety Dog was in Joplin, he got to finally meet one of the Fire Safety Dog's coolest friends, K-9 Lily! Lily is a search and rescue dog and she helped find people after the Joplin tornado. Her and her group at PAWS Search Dog Alliance were so nice to Tango! 

Please vote for Lily, our friend Shadow and Tango for the Hero Dog Awards awards! They are all in different categories, so you can vote for each of them. Your vote will help us support their causes! Please vote now!

Tango: http://bit.ly/VoteTango
Shadow: http://www.herodogawards.org/vote/?nominee=68861137
Lily: http://www.herodogawards.org/vote/?nominee=88791269

Photo by Genevieve Schaffer

Fire Safety Tip 144: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you that when grilling, to keep children and pets away from the grill area. Establish a 3-foot zone around the area as a "Kid-free" and "Pet-free."


We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!


This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!

Mountain Doo and K-9 Lily Made Honorary Fire Safety Dogs!

We want to congratulate our latest honorary Fire Safety Dogs, K-9 Lily and Mountain Doo!

Mountain Doo, Honorary Fire Safety Dog!

Being a Fire Safety Dog is very special and to be an honorary Fire Safety Dog is even more special!

Doo and Lily have both helped the Fire Safety Dogs and the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation reach more people with the fire safety message, and we are so very grateful to them!

Mountain Doo and Lily belong to a group called PAWS Search and Rescue Alliance in Joplin, Missouri. Check out the PAWS page to learn more about this amazing group, and be sure to join Doo and Lily on Facebook!

Honorary Fire Safety Dog, Mountain Doo and his human, Rob.

Honorary Fire Safety Dog Lily and her human, Tara.

Thanks to our friend, Jason for the help with the helmets!

Fire Safety Tip 143: 365

The Fire Safety Dogs remind you to place your grill well away from lawn games, areas of play and foot traffic.

We want you, your pets and your family to stay safe!

This safety tip brought to you by the Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation and our good friends at PetSmart, who tweet our fire safety tips daily on their Twitter page!