Community fire safety education and fund-raising are combined in a new fund-raising campaign launched Aug. 24 at Fire-Rescue International.

Supported by fire service organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the program will offer local fire departments “Scottie’s Fire Safety School,” an electronic game on CD-ROM for children that tests their knowledge about fires while they play.

Developed by AOE Technologies in conjunction with the California State Firefighters’ Association, FireFighting.com and Scottie’s Firehouse, the campaign will use the educational CD as a centerpiece for a fund-raiser for America’s fire service set to begin in September and continue through Fire Prevention Week in October.

FireFighting.com, the Internet media partner, sponsored the campaign’s launch to 16,000 fire department officers attending FRI, the International Association of Fire Chiefs annual trade show and conference in New Orleans.

The campaign is supported by the National Volunteer Fire Council and 17 state firefighter associations. Fire service media lending a hand include National Fire & Rescue and Fire Chief magazines, the Fire & Emergency Television Network, Burning Issues: The Firefighters Worldwide Radio Network and Merginet.com.

The network that will administer the Scottie campaign currently includes 17 state associations. In all states in which state firefighters associations have not signed up, the state directors of the National Volunteer Fire Council will step in to administer the campaign, unless the state association chooses to come on board. The administering organization in each state will be the clearinghouse for the CD-ROMs in that state and will derive a small per-unit amount of income.

Local departments can work with the state association or independently to acquire their CD-ROMs, which are designed to be sold to citizens, schools, agencies and charitable organizations at the local level for a $20 donation per unit. At least $8 of each sale will go towards local fire department coffers. Departments and state associations may get local businesses to either partially or wholly subsidize the Scottie campaign to help boost the return on their fund-raising efforts.

Customized versions of the Scottie CD—with organization or sponsor logos printed on the CD itself or on the game’s welcome screen--are available for volume orders.

Participating departments in the Scottie campaign will receive a free CD-Rom for each school in their district. AOE Technologies also plans to mail out a free demonstrator to each fire department in the country via the administrating state associations.

As a further incentive, for every 500,000 Scottie units sold, AOE Technologies will donate to the administering state organization a new firetruck or rescue vehicle and two Bullard Thermal Imaging Cameras. The incentive program will be offered through Fire Prevention Week in October, with prizewinners being announced Oct. 14.

All those involved are hoping the Scottie campaign will not just raise funds for fire departments and teach children about fire safety, but raise awareness of the pressing needs of fire departments across the country. The slogan for the campaign is “Help us help you.”

For information on how to participate in the national fund-raiser, visit AOE Technology’s Web site at www.aoetec.com/scottie You can also view a video PSA created to support the campaign online at www.aoetec.com/scottie/PSA.