In 1986, National Fire Safety Council, Inc. (NFSC) developed Firepup,® a friendly Dalmatian cartoon character, in an effort to make learning about fire and burn prevention and life safety issues, fun, entertaining, and non-threatening. Firepup® was developed to be a friendly and positive role model for children. He has proven to be a successful learning tool used by fire prevention officers and teachers across the country.

Firepup®’s accomplishments have been many. Here are a few:

• Firepup® has joined the ranks of many firefighting agencies throughout the nation. Fire prevention officers have used their puppet versions of Firepup® for presentations to children in hundreds of schools.
  
  
• Firepup® appears in NFSC fire and burn prevention education programs and nearly 150 pieces of material for fire prevention officers and teachers. This adds continuity to the programs and identity to the organization.
  
  
• Firepup® has his own set of multimedia materials that have been created for children’s fire safety education.

Firepup®’s image is portrayed by a cuddly hand-held puppet and a life-size costumed character. The character is treated as an auxiliary fire prevention officer by many fire departments. Many hospitals and children’s organizations use the character in their programs. Because of his good intentions and positive personality, Firepup® has become familiar to hundreds of thousands of children from all over the country who view Firepup® as a role model and trusted friend.

Firepup® is a registered trademark of NFSC, Inc.

The Firepup® puppet was created in the Research and Development Department of National Fire Safety Council, Inc. 

During development, NFSC contacted Jim Hensen of Children’s Television Workshop (Sesame Street, Muppets, etc.). Mr. Hensen offered the services of his head designer Bonnie Erikson who spent several days at NFSC helping us fine tune mouth construction and character development. 

Newspaper articles showing how departments are utilizing the Firepup® puppet in their fire safety programs appear locally and nationwide. 

The Firepup® puppet has been distributed throughout the United States through schools and fire departments. Our goal is to place a Firepup® puppet in every grade of every school, especially Kindergarten and First grades.

Our Firepup® costume is one of the finest costumes available to help you educate your community about fire & life safety and burn prevention. Because Firepup® does not speak, we've paid a great deal of attention to detail to make his personality shine! 

The Firepup® costume is a must for programs and events that further public information, education, and awareness in fire & life safety and burn prevention. Children respond to the costume in a positive manner and recognize him wherever he goes. This Firepup® costume includes a large head with helmet attached and a built-in fan; an ice-pack cooling vest; a shirt with attached mock suspenders & buckles; a pair of black drawstring pants with an attached tail; a yellow vinyl fire coat; white fur gloves; and one pair of over-sized adjustable boots. 

With the help of the costume, Firepup® can be seen at various public functions including:

• School Assemblies
• Classroom Discussions
• Grand Openings
• Parades
• Promotions
• Hospitals
• Festivals and Fairs
• Community Events