Barry Brickey is the new “Voice of Sparky”
KINGSPORT – Barry Brickey, the Public Education Officer for the Kingsport (TN) Fire Department, has been selected as the new “Voice of Sparky‚®”. He will‚ receive an authentic Sparky the Fire Dog‚® costume, a trip to Boston to record for the NFPA Fire Prevention Week video ‚¬ and of course, the best public education materials around to continue teaching children, their parents and educators about fire prevention and public safety.‚
I am very honored to represent the Kingsport Fire Department and the fire service as the new “Voice of Sparky‚®”. Those are very large boots to fill. Said Barry Brickey, Im looking forward to helping Sparky spread the word about fire and life safety.
Last month, as part of the celebration of Sparky’s 60th birthday, career firefighters, volunteer firefighters or other fire department employees were invited to submit videos of themselves giving their best Sparky impersonation.‚ We received two dozen videos, and a panel of judges from NFPA selected‚ three finalists based on the best representation of Sparky’s voice, as well as the creativity and enthusiasm used in the creation of the video.
The two other finalists in the Voice of Sparky contest were‚ Steve McAdoo, Public Information Officer for the Clackamas (OR) Fire District #1,and‚ Alex Mickschl, Fire Equipment Operator for the Spokane (WA) Fire Department. Congratulations to Steve and Alex, and thanks to everyone who participated in this contest.
Sparkys History
Sparky the Fire Dog was created in 1951 for an Advertising Council campaign. Two years later his fire prevention campaign reached more than 68 million people through radio public service announcements and another three million through television. As an influential figure in fire prevention, his success can be attributed to collaboration with firefighters and others to educate the public on important prevention and safety messages. He has even experienced a touch of fame; in the 1980s, celebrity Dick Van Dyke served as the voice of Sparky to help expand the reach of Sparkys messages.
“Sparky has allowed us to connect with millions of children and their families by making it exciting to learn about fire prevention and safety, said Lorraine Carli, NFPAs vice president of communications. With this anniversary, we aim to reach more children, parents and educators with fun events and new educational programs throughout the year.
Since Sparkys inception in the 1950s, the number of fires and fire injuries in the United States has declined, which is due in part to enhanced public education efforts. Today, approximately 3,000 people die each year because of fires and thousands are injured. Sparkys work continues and is more important than ever because most fires can be prevented when people take personal responsibility and follow a few safety guidelines. Sparky is asking everyone to take a few moments during his special anniversary year to learn what they can do to reduce the number of fires and fire-related injuries.
For more information go to www.nfpa.org/sparkysbirthday