Building a Foundation for

By: Wade Turpin

& Wesley Priddy

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WHO ARE WE?

My name is Wade Turpin. I am happily married to my beautiful wife, Cheyenne, and we have six children, sometimes called "our circus". I graduated from Averett University with a Bachelor Degree in Sports Medicine. It was at that point where my entire "plan" changed. I have been a firefighter for approximately 8 years now and have been fully engaged in public education in the fire service for about 6 years now. I hold my NCFLSE I certification and plan to further this certification in the future. Currently, I am the Captain of B-Shift at the City of Eden Fire Department. I also am the current leader of the public education at the City of Eden and overseen by the Deputy Chief. I am very proud of what our Public Education has progressed to at the City of Eden. 

Captain Wade Turpin

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WHO ARE WE?

My name is Wesley Priddy. I am happily married to my beautiful wife, Rebecca, and we have two daughters, one son-in-law, and one granddaughter. I graduated from The Art Institute of Charlotte with an Associate's Degree in Graphic Design. I joined the Eden Fire Department about a year after graduating. I have been a firefighter for approximately 19 years now and have been involved in the public education portion for the last 4 years now. I hold my NCFLSE I certification and plan to further this certification in the future. Currently, I am an Engineer at the City of Eden Fire Department on B- Shift. I work closely with Captain Turpin in the development and execution of the public education for the City of Eden.  

Engineer Wesley Priddy

A little history about Eden and Our Department

The City of Eden was consolidated in 1967 to one big unified city from the three local small towns of Draper, Spray, and Leaksville. These three towns all had their own police and fire departments along with their own town halls. The fire stations have remained in place and active from these three towns, although they are now jointly consolidated as the City of Eden Fire Department. A fourth station was added to the central location of the established city 20 years later in 1987. This station is now known as the main station and was built bringing the total of fire stations to 4, meeting the ISO requirements with distance between stations. This station currently houses all administration during the week.

A little history about Eden and Our Department

The City of Eden currently houses, per shift, 2 personnel at station 1 with a Ladder and Engine, 1 person at station 2 with a ladder and engine, 1 person at station 3 with an engine, and 2 personnel as station 4 with an engine and squad. In 2025, the department grew from 17 fulltime employees to 23. Currently, the City of Eden has 16 employees that hold at least a level 1 FLSE Certification. Although this is the case, all employees hold various certifications in many different specialties. These may include but are not limited to, NCFLSE, Inspections, TR, Confined Space, Water Rescue, VMR, EMT, Instructors, Officers, etc.

Public Education in Eden

The City of Eden Fire Department has maintained a longstanding commitment to public education, with the earliest documented organized initiatives dating back to the 1990s. Early programs incorporated clowns to enhance audience participation and message retention. These clowns used available foam rubber props and a large-scale sound system to ensure that sizeable audiences could effectively hear and engage with safety messages.

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Over time, the department expanded its educational outreach to include the use of a smoke trailer, as well as programs addressing bicycle safety, helmet use, and child passenger seat safety. These efforts reflected a comprehensive approach that emphasized life safety alongside traditional fire prevention.

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The Eden Fire Department has consistently prioritized the instruction of safety principles, demonstrating an enduring dedication to educating the community and promoting practices that reduce risk and protect lives.

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Public Education Timeline

1990’s

1990’s

2000’s

2010’s

2020’s

Public Education program began

Smoke trailer was borrowed

City obtained their own smoke house

Schools and public events were added

Covid strikes

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Public Education program was rebuilt

The Beginning

The department’s first widely recognized public education program was launched in the 1990s and featured the fire safety clowns Sparkle and Flame, portrayed by Randy Sexton and Marshall Hill. The program incorporated foam rubber props and an amplified sound system to effectively reach large audiences, ensuring that participants could clearly hear and engage with the fire safety messages, that were performed throughout the state. This approach enhanced both the educational impact and accessibility of the presentations, allowing important safety messages to be communicated in an engaging and memorable manner.

1990’s

Resources

Building on the foam rubber prop–based program, the 1990s also provided an opportunity to introduce a new and more interactive educational component. Through the support and collaboration of the Rockingham County Fire Marshal’s Office and the Bethany Fire Department, a smoke trailer was brought to elementary schools. This hands-on learning environment effectively captured students’ attention and enhanced their understanding of appropriate actions to take in the event of a fire, thereby strengthening the overall impact of the department’s fire and life safety education efforts.

1990’s

Expansion

Throughout the early 2000s, the department maintained its established public education initiatives. In 2006, the Eden Fire Department enhanced its program by acquiring its own smoke house through grant funding, thanks to the fire chief of the time, Douglas Cline. For its time, the unit incorporated modern technology, including interior cameras, a smoke simulation machine, a heated door to demonstrate the presence of fire conditions, and a functional telephone that allowed children to practice dialing 911. These features significantly improved the realism and educational value of the department’s fire and life safety training.

2000’s

Additions

Following the acquisition of the smoke house, schools and various community organizations began requesting on-site visits to provide safety education for children. During these outreach efforts, the department delivered instruction on child passenger seat safety, bicycle and helmet safety, weather safety, and fire prevention. While these programs expanded the scope of life safety education offered, the delivery of this outreach was intermittent and conducted on a sporadic basis.

2010’s

Covid

Covid brought a halt to all Public Education efforts

2020

& 2021

Reconstruction

With the appointment of new leadership and the addition of new personnel, the department undertook a comprehensive restructuring of its public education program. This process included the evaluation of previous practices and the discontinuation of certain legacy components in order to align, with the current administration’s approach to risk management and liability considerations.

2022

City of Eden’s Yearly Education Numbers

Foundation

• Soil- Demographics

• Footings – Prevention(Centered Topic)

• Foundation Walls- Staff Training

• Piers- Community Involvement

• Floor- Educate Promptly

• Walls- Reenforced Education

• Ceiling/Roof- Review, Practice, Improve

Soil- Demographics

• Age​
• Gender​
• Education Level​
• Location​
• Occupation​
• Family Size​
• Ethnicity

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• These are key elements to any successful program. Companies, especially advertising companies, have been using this market research for decades. It ensures the best return on their investments.
• As Educators we use the same information to make sure we can reach to most people and have the biggest impact.
• We have seen the most involvement from both children and adults since we began implementing this.

Footings- Prevention (Centered Topic)

What is the message that you want to teach? Having a clear understanding of what you are wanting to do and how to do it is the focus of this step.

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• Your Centered topic is the message you are trying to convey to your audience.
• Understanding your topic and the necessary means to teach it is essential.
• We have a unique outlook on our topic of fire safety. If we can teach children how to prevent accidental fire or what to do incase of a fire, they can teach their parents/guardians what they have learned, thus reenforcing the message in the home.

Foundation Walls- Staff Training

Training your staff to make sure the same message is being taught.

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• By having your staff trained the same way across the board ensures consistency.
• Consistency makes sure that all individuals you are teaching are receiving the same message.
• Also, teaching your staff that will be doing these programs all the same information allows for each program to flow and go the same every time a various program is requested.

Piers- Community Involvement

How to involve your community

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• Schools, events, churches, businesses all of these are parts of your community that gather on a regular basis.
• This is great when it comes to scheduling your classes.

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• Always make a positive image in the community whenever you can. Take every chance that produces the opportunity. You never know who you may teach that day.

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Floor – Educate Promptly

• Educate the public as quick as you can.
• Attend events, get the prevention and education out there
• You could save someone's life today
• Fires don’t wait why should you?

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Walls - Reenforced Education

How can you be sure people are receiving your message? Is repetition good or bad?

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• Is it necessary to go to the same place more than once?
• Should you teach the same thing twice?
• Always ask questions to gather a basic knowledge of what your audience knows and to what level you need to start at

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Review

• Consistently review your programs.
• Are you achieving the goal?
• Is the topic right for the audience?
• Is the audience learning?

Practice

• Always take some time to practice your program
• If you know you have an event, go over everything you will teach
• Are all your staff trained, practice makes everything easier

Improve

• What can you improve?
• There is always room for growth
• Should we add topics or take away topics
• What can you do different for better results?

Ceiling / Roof

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What we have found that works for us��

Repetition

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Hermann Ebbinghaus

Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 - 1909)

• Conducted memory research in the 1880s
• Published Über das Gedächtnis in 1885 (the first major scientific book devoted to the experimental study of memory.)
• Studied how information is learned and forgotten using nonsense syllables to control prior knowledge
• Key Research Findings:
• Forgetting Curve
• We forget most new information within 24 hours without reinforcement

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• Spacing Effect
• Information is retained longer when review sessions are spaced over time

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• Savings Effect
• Relearning previously learned material takes less time than the first learning

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• Repetition slows forgetting and strengthens long-term memory

Hermann Ebbinghaus (1850 - 1909)

• Why This Matters:
• Life-saving procedures must be recalled quickly and accurately during emergencies.

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• Effective Teaching Strategies:
• Repeat core safety messages consistently (evacuation routes, fire response steps, alarm sounds, etc.)
• Use spaced instruction rather than one-time presentations
• Incorporate regular drills to reinforce learning
• Start sessions with brief review questions to strengthen recall
• Provide short refresher lessons throughout the year

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• Benefit to the Fire & Life Safety Educator:
• Builds muscle memory for high-risk, low-frequency event
• Improves recall during emergencies
• Increases public behavior change through repeated exposure
• Creates more effective, evidence-based training programs

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• Bottom line:
• People remember what they repeatedly practice and revisit.
• Repetition saves lives.

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Lev Vygotsky

Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934)

• Conducted research primarily in the 1920s–early 1930s
• Focused on cognitive development, social learning, and language
• Emphasized that learning occurs through social interaction and guided instruction
• Key Concepts Related to Repetition & Learning
• Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
• The gap between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance
• Repeated guided practice helps learners move from assisted to independent performance

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• Scaffolding
• Structured support provided by a teacher or more knowledgeable person
• Repetition with gradual removal of support strengthens mastery

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• Social Repetition
• Learning improves when concepts are discussed, practiced, and reinforced in groups
• Verbal rehearsal (saying steps out loud) improves retention

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• Language as a Learning Tool
• Repeating instructions verbally helps internalize procedures
• Self-talk reinforces memory and builds automaticity

Lev Vygotsky (1896 - 1934)

• Why This Matters:
• Fire and life safety skills must become automatic, especially in high-stress situations.
• Effective Strategies:
• Use guided practice during drills
• Model the correct behavior first
• Practice together
• Then allow independent performance
• Encourage participants to say safety steps out loud
• Example: Verbally rehearse evacuation procedures
• Conduct group-based learning activities
• Peer demonstrations reinforce understanding
• Discussion strengthens retention
• Use progressive repetition
• Practice with support, then reduce support, then independent drill
• Reinforce procedures multiple times over the year
• Provide consistent language cues
• Use the same phrasing each time to build memory patterns

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• Bottom Line:
• Vygotsky shows that repetition is most effective when it is guided, social, and progressively independent—exactly how fire and life safety skills must be taught to become automatic, safe, and reliable under real emergency conditions.

Lev Vygotsky

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C.A. Mace

C.A. Mace (1894 – 1971)

• British psychologist; author of The Psychology of Study (1932)
• Studied memory, study habits, and practice methods
• Compared:
• Massed practice (cramming)
• Distributed practice (spaced repetition)

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• Key Findings:
• Spaced repetition improves long-term retention
• Repetition strengthens memory pathways
• Overlearning improves recall under stress
• Habit formation requires repeated correct performance

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• Core Principle:
• Repetition, especially spaced over time, turns knowledge into automatic behavior

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C.A. Mace (1894 – 1971)

• Why This Matters for Fire & Life Safety Education
• Emergencies require automatic recall, not slow thinking
• Stress reduces decision-making ability
• Repetition builds life-saving habits:
• Evacuation routes
• Alarm recognition
• Extinguisher use
• Safety checks

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• One-time training = awareness
• Repeated, spaced drills = preparedness
• Application:
• Conduct regular drills (not just annual)

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• Reinforce messaging throughout the year and advancing years
• Practice beyond minimum competency
• Bottom Line:
• Repetition increases retention, reduces panic, and saves lives

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C.A. Mace

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Jean Piaget

Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980)

• Research on Learning & Development (1920s–1970s)
• Studied cognitive development in children
• Proposed 4 developmental stages:
• Sensorimotor
• Preoperational
• Concrete operational
• Formal operational
• Identified key learning processes:
• Assimilation – adding new info to existing knowledge
• Accommodation – adjusting understanding based on new experiences
• Believed learning is active and experience-based
• Connection to Repetition:
• Repeated experiences strengthen mental frameworks (schemas)
• Practice allows learners to test, correct, and refine understanding
• Repetition supports progression from concrete action to deeper reasoning
• Learning occurs through repeated interaction with the environment

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Jean Piaget (1896 – 1980)

• Why This Matters for Fire & Life Safety Education
• Safety learning must be experienced, not just told
• Repetition helps learners:
• Internalize evacuation procedures
• Practice Stop, Drop, and Roll
• Recognize alarms and exit routes

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• Young learners require concrete, repeated demonstrations
• Older learners benefit from scenario-based repeated practice
• Repeated drills strengthen understanding and build habits
• Bottom Line:
• Piaget’s research shows that repeated, hands-on experiences build true understanding and for fire & life safety education, repetition turns instruction into automatic, life saving behavior.

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4 Main Learning Styles (1987)

• The “four learning styles” as we know them today started in 1987 with Neil Fleming’s VARK model, though the broader idea that people learn differently dates back to the early 1900s.

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• Visual Learners:
• Learn best through images, diagrams, videos, color-coding, and demonstrations
• Why it matters: Seeing a process improves understanding and long-term recall
• Auditory Learners:
• Learn through listening, discussion, storytelling, and verbal instruction
• Why it matters: Hearing information helps with processing concepts and remembering details
• Reading/Writing Learners:
• Prefer text, handouts, lists, reports, and note-taking
• Why it matters: Writing and reading reinforce comprehension and critical thinking
• Kinesthetic Learners:
• Learn by doing hands-on practice, movement, real-life scenarios
• Why it matters: Physical involvement builds muscle memory and real-world application

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• Key Connection to Learning New Skills
• Using multiple learning styles increases retention, engagement, and the ability to apply knowledge in real situations
• No audience is made up of just one type, variety is the key to effective instruction

4 Main Learning Styles

• Fire & Life Safety Educator: Reaching Every Learner
• For Visual Learners
• Use videos of fire behavior, diagrams of escape plans, smoke alarm placement graphics
• Demonstrate “stop, drop, and roll”
• For Auditory Learners
• Explain concepts clearly and verbally
• Use group discussion, Q&A, and real incident stories to reinforce messages
• For Reading/Writing Learners
• Provide brochures, checklists, home escape plan worksheets
• Have participants write down their meeting place or safety steps
• For Kinesthetic Learners
• Hands-on extinguisher training
• Practice crawling low under “smoke”
• Conduct exit drills and scenario-based activities

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• Bottom Line:
• When fire & life safety education engages all four learning styles, the message is understood, remembered, and acted on — which directly saves lives.

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New Methods We Use In Eden

• We coordinate and schedule visits with local elementary schools, typically presenting to one grade level per day and reaching the entire school within a one-week period.

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• Comprehensive, grade-specific lesson plans have been developed to ensure age-appropriate instruction.

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• In addition, we designed and produced a custom activity book for students to take home, which also includes valuable safety information for parents and guardians.

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• Over the past year, we have comprehensively revised our program for fourth- and fifth-grade students, and we are planning to introduce a new initiative next year entitled “Sound Off.”

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SO, WHAT DO WE DO?

Pre-K and Kindergarten

• For our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes we introduce the children to the smoke alarm via a turtle puppet named “Toasty the Turtle”, using the puppet to show the importance of having smoke alarms inside of the home.

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• We also utilize my friend the firefighter as one of our members gets dressed in turn out gear under the instruction of the children

First Grade

• First Grade we review what we taught the previous year as far as smoke alarms to refresh the children’s memories.
• We add the 2 ways out material and explain that each room of their homes have 2ways out; We reenforce this idea by getting the children to interact through materials we give them to take home. Examples: drawing their homes along with the 2 ways out maze displayed .

Second and Third Grades

Second and Third Grades go through the smoke house. We instruct them on what to do once the smoke alarm goes off; the smoke house offers the opportunity to teach them how to check doors with its heated door feature, and allows them to call 911 with a closed circuit telephone.

Forth Grade

Today you are Fire & Life Safety Detectives!

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Walk around the school (with your teacher) and find:

• A fire alarm pull station
• A fire extinguisher cabinet
• An EXIT sign
• An evacuation map
• A sprinkler head on the ceiling
• A smoke detector
• The class’s outside meeting location

Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade we use the Juvenile fire setter taught by one of our newest FLSE educators, Dee Shelton.

Other Programs We Offer

Station Tours

Water Days

Fire Extinguisher

Training

Holiday Events

Conclusion

1. Soil- Demographics
2. Footings- Prevention (Centered Topic)
3. Foundation Walls – Staff Training
4. Piers – Community Involvement
5. Floor -Educate Promptly
6. Walls – Reenforced Education
7. Ceiling/Roof – Review, Practice, Improve

References

Ebbinghaus, H. (1913). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology (H. A. Ruger & C. E. Bussenius, Trans.). Teachers College, Columbia University. (Original work published 1885)

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Fleming, N. D., & Mills, C. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To Improve the Academy, 11(1), 137–155. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2334- 4822.1992.tb00213.x

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Mace, C. A. (1932). The psychology of study. Methuen.

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National Fire Protection Association. (2023). NFPA 1035: Standard for professional qualifications for fire and life safety educator, public information officer, and juvenile firesetter intervention specialist. NFPA.

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Piaget, J. (1952). The origins of intelligence in children. International Universities Press.

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U.S. Fire Administration. (2020). Fire and life safety education resource guide. Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

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