Available in choice of two formats:   MP3 Download $15  or  Compact Disc $23

How to Meet the Educational Challenges of Large Cities
Track(s): Public Education

Johnny Brewington, Cleveland Division of Fire;
Larry Gray, Cleveland Fire Department;
David Sawyer, Columbus Division of Fire;
Derrick Sawyer, Philadelphia Fire Department,
John Verbeek, Hamilton Emergency Services

Audio Sample:




Large city fire departments have particular outreach challenges that include conducting fire prevention programs with limited resources; staffing smoke alarm installation programs; and working in high-crime areas. Also, leveraging relationships with large citywide institutions serving preschoolers, school-age children, or older adults; reaching multi-cultural communities in their own languages; and getting community members to focus on fire safety when other issues may seem more compelling are all additional challenges. Come hear representatives from four cities discuss how they are addressing those challenges through their public education and outreach programs. Fire departments from Cleveland, Ohio; Columbus, Ohio; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Hamilton, Ontario were all a part of implementations sponsored by NFPA as part of the Urban Fire Safety Project in 2008 and 2009.

Johnny Brewington is Immediate Past President of the International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters (IABPFF) and Battalion Chief, Cleveland OH He has been a member with the City of Cleveland's Division of Fire for twenty-eight years. Chief Brewington is a Fire Fighter Training Instructor for Cuyahoga Community College. Committed to our youth and the community at large, Johnny serves on the Advisory Board for Fire Cadet Program of Shaw High School , Advisor Board for Public Safety Program at Martin Luther King Municipal Career High School, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Citizens Advisory Board, Advisor Board for the University Circle Foundation, Inc. Future Connection Program, and Advisor Board for the Western Reserve Fire Museum and Education Center. He is a member of the Urban Fire Safety Task Force and was one of the liaisons for NFPA's 2009 Urban Fire Safety Project.

Larry Gray has served the city of Cleveland as a firefighter for 22 years and as Public Information Officer for four years. He was Director of Public Education and Public Relations for 11 years. He is a member of the NFPA Urban Fire Safety Task Force. As a NFPA Remembering When scholarship recipient, he has taught the Remembering When program for dozens of older adults groups in the past year and he has taught fire safety to children in all levels for 17 years. Larry has served as President of the Northeast Ohio Juvenile Firesetters' Task Force for six years, a Board member of the Senior Power Committee; a member of the Weapons of Mass Destruction teams for the Cleveland Browns and is a member of Toastmasters Public Speaking group. He is one of the liaisons to NFPA for the 2009 Urban Fire Safety Project.

Lieutenant David Sawyer oversees several programs in the Columbus Division of Fire's Community Relations Office, including Firefighters Against Drugs (FFAD), Latino Outreach, Juvenile Fire Setters, Safe House, Pre K Fire Safety, and other Fire Safety Programs. Sawyer is a member of NFPA's Urban Fire Safety Task Force and was the liaison with NFPA for the 2008 Urban Fire Safety Project. Lt. Sawyer is a graduate of Columbus Linden McKinley High School and attended Ohio State University. David has been a firefighter for 31 years and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1995. Lieutenant Sawyer has been assigned to several Fire Stations since the beginning of his career. He joined the Community Relations Office in 2004. Sawyer has earned his EMT certification, EMT D certification, and EMT P (Paramedic) certification.

Battalion Chief Derrick Sawyer has been a member of the Philadelphia Fire Department for twenty four years. He has a degree in Fire Science and is in his final year of the Executive Fire Officer Program (EFOP) at the National Fire Academy. Sawyer is a 2009 graduate of the Carl Holmes Executive Development Institute and has obtained certification in the following areas; Fire Officer, Fire Service Instructor, and Fire Inspector. He is currently assigned to the Fire Prevention Division where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations as it relates to public education, community risk reduction and outreach. Chief Sawyer was the liaison for Philadelphia Fire Department to NFPA's for the 2009 Urban Fire Safety Project.

John Verbeek is a 30 year veteran of Hamilton Emergency Services and currently holds the rank of Assistant Chief Fire Prevention Officer. John is a graduate of the Ontario Fire College and is certified as a Public Fire and Life Safety Educator. John is also a member of the NFPA Urban Fire Safety Task Force and is presently the project lead for a new community based Fire Prevention and Public Education pilot project that targets high-risk neighbourhoods in the City of Hamilton.