Three years ago this month, America joined the rest of the world in the fight against terrorism. Our sense of security was shattered, and our families, our jobs and our everyday lives changed forever. This year on Sept. 9, the Department of Homeland Security, the American Red Cross, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and 50 other national organizations launched National Preparedness Month, with all sorts of information available for citizens to be better prepared for potential disasters.

While this is a great idea, does it overshadow October's Fire Prevention Week? Perhaps October should be renamed Disaster Prevention Month, combining DHS efforts with the expanded role facing first responders.

A year or so after the 9/11 attacks, a friend and public educator made the comment that the fire service had dropped the ball for Fire Prevention Week 2001. Firefighters' heroism should have been used to drive home the message of fire prevention and safety. I disagreed; there were enough issues to deal with at the time.

This October, however, I believe that fire departments and public educators will have several opportunities to drive home their safety message with upcoming fire-related media opportunities that coincide with National Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3-9.

First up is Touchstone Pictures' Ladder 49, which opens in movie theaters across the country Oct. 1. The movie is about a rookie firefighter in Brooklyn and how he grows into a seasoned veteran. It's a story about dedication, the brotherhood and the sacrifices that firefighters make every day. After a preview of Ladder 49 during Fire-Rescue International in New Orleans, attendees were exuberant and described the movie as phenomenal. “The movie gets it when it comes to a firefighter's life,” said one former fire chief. “Especially the emphasis on the family of a firefighter.”

The movie's premiere also coincides with the start of the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation's memorial to the 110 fallen firefighters of 2003. We can't predict the success of the movie, but the momentum it promises is a mega-watt spotlight on firefighters.

Another opportunity will be when the nation's largest interactive fire-safety education experience opens Oct. 5 at Walt Disney World Resort's Epcot. “Where's the Fire?” is a 4,200-square-foot exhibit designed in cooperation with the U.S. Fire Administration and sponsored by Liberty Mutual Group, one of the largest home insurers in the country.

Glenn Greenberg, spokesman for the Liberty Mutual Group, described the exhibit as a single-level home that has its roof cut off. The house is divided into two mirror images, each made up of six rooms. Visitors enter as small teams with special flashlights and search each room to find and eliminate hazards, all the while racing against time. If they fail, a fire erupts and appears on the screen. Via interactive screens and clicking the flashlight, team members can identify more than 100 potential hazards. “It's been called the most hazardous house in America,” he said.

After the visitors exit the house, a small four-room house, with low walls and an open top offers younger children the opportunity to wander through and learn how to exit quickly. Also, a 30-foot pumper was adapted for the kids to play on. A display of fire department patches ends the exhibit.

The IAFC agrees that this year's events could be particularly good for public education opportunities in your community. Consequently, they've put together a list of ideas or suggestions to expand your publication education efforts at www.iafc.org.

Firefighters are again on the radar screen; they've been invoked by both presidential campaigns and are about to become larger than life on the movie screen. The stars appear to be lining up to indicate that the month of October will shine a spotlight on you and your department. What message do you plan to convey?

E-mail Janet Wilmoth