The yellow balloons, bags of popcorn, and colorful mascots that filled the halls of Public School 218 in the Bronx on Saturday, March 31 are natural fixtures of any fair, but the large number of uniformed City employees hinted at the serious undertones of the event. The Office of Emergency Management (OEM), in collaboration with the Police Department, the Fire Department, the Department of Education, the American Red Cross in Greater New York, New York Interfaith Disaster Services (NYDIS), and the Bronx Borough President’s office invited hundreds of New Yorkers to learn about the importance of fire safety and preparing for emergencies. OEM targeted the Highbridge section of the Bronx to help residents learn how to prevent a repeat of the deadly fire that claimed 10 lives in March. Tragically, many of the fire’s victims were children.

OEM hosted the preparedness fair in the gym and cafeteria of P.S. 218. The informal setting allowed for snacks and interactive activities like assembling a Go Bag. These new tactics, along with homework assignments like checking all the batteries in the flashlights at home, helped Amber Greene and Herman Schaffer, the event’s organizers, capture the attention of children in new ways. “We are currently developing a Ready New York for Kids guide and this fair was a great opportunity to test out some of our new ideas,” said Amber Greene, OEM’s Ready New York coordinator.

OEM was not the only agency focused on children. The Department of Education supplied mats to practice the Stop, Drop, and Roll technique. The Fire Department brought their mascot, Hot Dog, and the Hazard House, a modified doll house that illustrates how fire-related emergencies can arise at home. The Police Department invited McGruff, the crime-fighting dog, to speak to the kids about basic safety and crime prevention, and some kids from the audience shared testimonials about not talking to strangers and how to react in emergencies.

While the children practiced what they learned, Commissioner Linares from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant affairs addressed the adults in Spanish and shared stories from his own experience as an immigrant in New York City. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Chief Maria Forbes of Community Board 4 spoke to the group about the importance of knowing what services the City provides for residents and when residents should call 911.

Disaster prevention was the focus as well as the driving force behind the preparedness fair. The March fire in the Bronx was not only one of the deadliest in New York City’s history, it was one of the most preventable. Nothing about the building itself, its contents, or its layout suggested a fire would be so devastating, but the combination of a space heater, a device designed for short term use, left on overnight and non-working smoke detectors proved fatal. Moreover, the residents did not understand the importance of calling 911 immediately for help. By the time the Fire Department arrived the fire was already out of control.

OEM’s Ready New York outreach team has been educating the public about preparing for emergencies like this since 2003, but the event in Highbridge shows how effective its educational activities can be when incorporated into the response and recovery process. “The fire acted as a catalyst for action in this community. Residents were eager to learn not only how the City can help them, but how they can help themselves,” Greene said.

OEM Commissioner Joseph F. Bruno sent personal letters inviting local community boards to the fair, and outreach through elected officials and the media helped attract an audience of over 400 hundred. Later that evening, New York 1 and Bronx 12 pushed the story into millions of homes after shooting more than three hours footage at the fair.

“Nothing like that fire should ever happen in this neighborhood again,” Greene said.