Papa Gino's, the Dedham, Mass.-based pizza chain, and the Home Safety Council will work with more than 125 fire departments in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island to promote fire safety at fire department open houses throughout October -- National Fire Safety Month.
In addition to providing pizzas and paper goods, Papa Gino's collaborated with the Home Safety Council and will help distribute the Home Safety Council's home fire education materials in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The Home Safety Council is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the risk of home injuries including falls, poisonings and home fires. HSC provides fire departments with valuable fire safety materials through the Expert Network, a free online resource for fire and life safety educators (www.homesafetycouncil.org/expertnetwork).
In addition to providing fire safety checklists and home fire drill planning tips in English, Portuguese and Spanish, the Home Safety Council recently spearheaded the national Home Safety Literacy Project, which reaches adults with low literacy skills by providing easy to read fire safety materials.
To further spread the word on fire safety, Papa Gino's once again tapped its celebrity spokesperson, New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi, to promote its fire safety program throughout the New England area. Bruschi recorded a 30-second public service announcement, which will air on radio stations throughout New England this October. The gridiron great is part of Papa Gino's overall fire safety program, which has teamed the Dedham pizza chain with fire departments across New England to promote fire safety. Now in its fourteenth year, Papa Gino's provides New England fire departments with free pizzas and fire education materials. This year, Pepsi will also donate more than 12,000 cans of Pepsi products to help quench participants' thirst. The goal is to help the fire departments hold open houses in their communities and educate thousands of families each year.
"Fire Safety is a critical message that needs to be communicated to families throughout New England. We applaud all the fire departments that stress this important message each September and October," said Tom Galligan, Papa Gino's President and CEO. "Once again, we are pleased to work with Pepsi and the Home Safety Council."
Since the inception of the Papa Gino's Open House Sponsorship Program, New England fire departments and Papa Gino's have educated nearly 2 million New Englanders on the dangers of various household fires. To find a fire safety open house in your area, please visit www.papaginos.com.
"The Home Safety Council (HSC) is pleased to partner again with Papa Gino's in delivering important fire safety messages to families across the region. For instance, every home needs protection with working smoke alarms on each level, as well as a well-rehearsed fire escape plan so families are prepared to act quickly should a fire occur," said Home Safety Council president Meri-K Appy.
According to the Home Safety Council, new wireless interconnected smoke alarms are easily installed without an electrician, giving people the earliest possible warning of a fire in their homes. For the ultimate protection from fire, especially when renovating or building a new home, home owners and builders should consider upgrading fire safety precautions to include a home fire sprinkler system.
New England Fire Safety Open Houses
At the open houses, families will be treated to a number of fire safety demonstrations and free Papa Gino's pizza. The goal of the event is to provide families with the opportunity to teach their children the importance of fire prevention and safety. Children will receive fire prevention activity sheets and will be asked to fill out a fire evacuation plan with their families. As part of this community relations program, Papa Gino's will provide more than 11,000 pizzas and 125,000 children's fire safety coloring sheets and fire hats to local fire stations during the month of October. Over the past 13 years, Papa Gino's has donated more than 140,000 pizzas and nearly 2 million fire safety coloring sheets and fire hats to help raise awareness for fire safety. Papa Gino's will also provide a free slice of pizza at local Papa Gino's restaurants with the completion of a home escape plan, provided in the fire safety materials throughout the month of October.
The Home Safety Council (HSC)
The Home Safety Council (HSC) is the only national non-profit organization solely dedicated to preventing home related injuries that result in nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. Through national programs, partnerships and the support of volunteers, HSC educates people of all ages to be safer in and around their homes. The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization located in Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.homesafetycouncil.org.
Papa Gino's Holdings Corp.
Based in Dedham, Massachusetts, Papa Gino's Holdings Corporation is the parent company of Papa Gino's and D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches. Papa Gino's Holdings Corp. operates more than 360 company-owned and franchised Papa Gino's, D'Angelo and dual-location restaurants and employs more than 5,000 people. Both D'Angelo and Papa Gino's are committed to providing high-quality products, attentive service, clean, convenient, attractive restaurants, and a premium value experience for every guest. The company culture, which is characterized by its values, a strong work ethic and the fair treatment of people, includes a large number of people who have spent their entire working lives in these restaurants, keeping the passion for excellence alive. For more information about Papa Gino's Holdings Corp. and its brands, please visit www.papaginos.com.