The answer to the question, “Who wants to join the Fire PALS?” is, “Most of St. Cloud.”
Over the last year, the program that takes its cues from a national literacy program has turned into a popular way to show off the artistic skills of locals, while providing fire and health safety tools to children and their families.
The Fire PALS (Prevention and Life Safety) program has taken off around St. Cloud, and now there are seven boxes in place — the latest locally-built and assembled, and appears at VFW Post 3227 at New York Avenue and 10th Street — with the next 10 in the hands of artists and locations around town already picked out.
“It’s really become a staple in this community,” said St. Cloud Fire Rescue Lt. David Miller. “It got some nice traction through social media.”
The intent was to build on the Little Free Library movement that has appeared in communities all over the country, encouraging children and adults alike to “take a book, leave a book” to foster family reading time.
Miller’s idea was to have local artists build and paint them to look like fire stations, including logos for their various sponsors, and leave “Fire Pals” safety and prevention literature in each box as well, so children can learn how to stay safe when tending to or working around a fire. He said he hopes to expand that messaging into pieces on mental health and the Red Cross. By having each box sponsored by a local group or company, and built by various artists, it makes each one have its own story, Miller said, and the response has been tremendous.
“We’ve seen kids coloring the fire safety books, and a mom with kids who have asked to go back for more books,” he said. “Our PR staff is waiting for supplies; we’re running through more fire safety (manuals) than we ever had.”
Aside from the VFW Hall, other current box locations include Fire Station 31, Cannery Park, the Lakefront splash park and O.P. Johnson Park. Future sites include Wheel Park, Chisholm Park, the St. Cloud Main Street office, Godwin Park, the Chris Lyle Aquatic Center and Lakeshore and Mississippi Avenue.
The program’s website (www.MyFirePALS.com) and Facebook page (Fire PALS) have all the information about current and future boxes — and how community members can get involved or donate to the cause. It also has a blog that details the touching personal stories behind each box.
The goals are to have a box in every city of St. Cloud park — once all 17 boxes that have been places or are being built are up, they’ll reach that — and then work with the Kissimmee Fire Department to expand the program west into that city.
“We could have all the boxes up by the end of the year,” Miller said.
