BIC® Continues play safe! be safe!® Girl Scout Patch Program in 2018

SHELTON, Conn., March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- play safe! be safe!®, an award-winning fire safety education program developed by BIC® and Fireproof Children, has announced today that it will continue to offer its Girl Scout patch program. The program launched nationally in October of 2017, and to-date has been very popular with more than 14,000 Girl Scouts participating, from nearly 900 different troops across 44 U.S. states.

play safe! be safe! is a multimedia fire safety program launched in 1994 to provide educators and parents with an engaging set of tools to help them teach fire education skills to children. In 2017, in partnership with the Girl Scouts of Connecticut, BIC launched the new patch program to teach more children about the importance of fire safety and prevention. The program was introduced statewide in September 2017 and launched nationally at the 2017 Girl Scout National Convention in Columbus, OH. 

Over more than 23 years, play safe! be safe! has evolved to include in-person workshops for educators and first responders, a robust kit of educational tools, and an interactive website featuring educational games and activities. Since its introduction in 1994, more than 116,000 play safe! be safe! kits have been distributed across the U.S. and Canada and more than 215 workshops have been conducted.

"There are an estimated 7,400,000 home fires every year, most of which are never reported, but which result in 130,000 injuries or illnesses," said Dr. Robert Cole, president of Fireproof Children and one of the nation's leading experts in fire safety education. "Knowing what to do in the event of a fire and being prepared to act quickly is essential. The play safe! be safe! patch program is designed specifically to teach the Girl Scouts several critical skills and to encourage their families to address fire safety at home."

The Girl Scouts patch program was designed specifically for Daisy and Brownie troops and consists of four age-appropriate lessons that teach the Girl Scouts about fire safety: my friend the firefighter; stop! drop! and roll!;get low and go; and safe for play! keep away!. Additionally, there are 11 hands-on activities to reinforce each lesson, of which the Scouts must complete six to earn their BIC play safe! be safe! Fire Safety Education patch.

Patch program materials, including a guide for troop leaders and several activities, are all available on the play safe! be safe website: www.playsafebesafe.com/girlscouts.

"As a Girl Scout Leader, I continually search for materials that are both educational and captivating to my girls. I was thrilled when I found BIC's play safe! be safe! Fire Safety Education Patch Program because it was easily accessible and provided me the opportunity to teach the important lesson of Fire Safety to my troop," said Caitlin Brunetta, leader of a Daisy troop in Virginia Beach. "I was so inspired by the program that I shared it with other troops in my community and am proud to say that this program directly impacted the lives of 150 young girls."

To learn more about the program and to view the leader guide, visit www.playsafebesafe.com/girlscouts.

About BIC:

BIC is a world leader in stationery, lighters, shavers and promotional products. For more than 60 years, BIC has honored the tradition of providing high-quality, affordable products to consumers everywhere. Through this unwavering dedication, BIC has become one of the most recognized brands in the world. BIC products are sold in more than 160 countries around the world.

About play safe! be safe!:

This trilingual award-winning fire safety program was developed by BIC Corporation, located in Shelton, CT in cooperation with educators and fire safety experts. Since its introduction in 1994, BIC Corporation has distributed more than over 116,000 play safe! be safe! kits, and has sponsored fire safety training workshops in every U.S. state and Canadian province. Kits have been requested from over 40 countries. For more information, visit  http://www.playsafebesafe.com/.

About Fireproof Children:
Fireproof Children, a division of Community Health Strategies, has been working to reduce children's fire play and firesetting for more than 30 years.  Fireproof Children has been funded by FEMA to deliver train-the-trainer workshops in states with high levels of fire-related deaths and injuries to young children, and by the National Association of State Fire Marshals to provide a series of juvenile firesetting and intervention workshops across the country.  In 1992, Fireproof Children began working with BIC Corporation and other child development specialists to create the award-winning play safe! be safe!® classroom kit. Since 1994, more than 116,000 play safe! be safe! kits have been distributed around the world. Fireproof Children also presents BIC's play safe! be safe! training workshops and to date has presented more than 215 workshops in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and in all 10 Canadian provinces.

Contact: Amanda Mueller
Cashman + Katz Integrated Communications
860-652-0300 (EXT. 2211)
amandam@cashman-katz.com

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SOURCE BIC