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Public Education

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) is keenly aware that fire safety education begins at a young age, and being prepared is your best defense against a fire in your home. The SPSA offers many public education opportunities that we can bring to your community.

We know that the youth in our communities have a big influence on adults in their lives. For that reason, our teams hit the road each year to share the fire safety word. Check out the activities and resources available.

  1. Public Events
  2. Youth Preparedness Council
  3. Smokey Bear
  4. Sparky the Fire Dog
  5. The Summer Program

1. Public Events

National Public Safety Telecommunicator's Week: Each year in the second week of April, the public safety community recognizes and celebrates telecommunications personnel. This week is dedicated to showing appreciation for their commitment and service to the public.

Emergency Preparedness Week: Each year in the first full week of May, is a national awareness initiative and an opportunity for you to take action to ensure you're prepared to protect yourself, your family and your community during an emergency. 

Test Your Smoke Alarm Day: Takes place each year on September 28. It is a province-wide event reminding everyone to test their smoke alarms. One simple beep could make all the difference.

Fire Prevention Week: The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) officially proclaims the second week in October each year as Fire Prevention Week. This year it is from October 5 to 11, 2025.

Themes are chosen to encourage people to take personal steps to increase our safety from fire and how to escape safely in the event of one. The theme this year is Lithium-Ion Battery Safety.

For more information, visit: Celebrate NFPA Fire Prevention Week

2. Youth Preparedness Council

The Youth Preparedness Council (YPC) is for Saskatchewan students in Grades 8 to 12 who have a passion for public safety, emergency preparedness and community leadership. The YPC provides a platform for youth to share their ideas, engage in collaborative projects and gain firsthand experience in emergency management and public education.

Selected members will serve on the council from September 2025 to June 2026, participating in monthly virtual meetings with an additional time commitment as required to support student projects. Students will receive mentorship and skills development.

The Youth Preparedness Council is dedicated to empowering Saskatchewan's youth to become leaders in emergency preparedness and public safety.
Meet the 2024-25 YPC Council 

Aaron Rutley

Youth Council Member, Aaron
Aaron is a Grade 11 student from Cut Knife, Saskatchewan with a strong passion for weather, photography, video editing, driving and farming. 
 
His interest in emergency preparedness began in 2020 when an unwarned tornado struck his family’s farm, causing significant damage. This experience inspired him to focus on weather research and tornado detection, aiming to ensure that no tornado in Saskatchewan goes unwarned. 
 
As a member of the Youth Preparedness Council, Aaron works to raise awareness about severe weather safety and plans to deliver school and community presentations on how to stay safe during severe weather. Aaron manages the Saskatchewan Storm Chasers YouTube channel, documenting storms across the province to inform the public and promote preparedness in rural communities.
 

Petyon Waldbauer
Youth Council Member, Peyton
Peyton is a Grade 11 student from Emerald Park, Saskatchewan (RM of Edenwold) who is exploring his interest in chemistry and is an active participant in sports, playing competitive volleyball with the Regina Volleyball Club. As a committed Saskatchewan Roughriders fan, he channels the same enthusiasm into community involvement and educational pursuits.
 
His passion for emergency preparedness grew from witnessing the impact of natural disasters in Saskatchewan, including droughts, blizzards and wildfires. These experiences highlighted the need for preparedness and inspired Peyton to motivate others to pursue a career in public safety. 
 
Through his involvement in the Youth Preparedness Council, he aims to enhance his understanding of government roles and improve his communication skills, all while helping to build safer, more resilient communities. Peyton is currently interviewing individuals from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) to highlight a variety of emergency response careers in Saskatchewan that others may not be aware of.

The Smokey Bear program began in the 1940s to promote forest fire safety. It grew throughout the years with many promotional items including posters, bookmarks, songs and stamps. Radio, TV, and signage further help raise awareness about forest and wildfire safety.

4. Sparky the Fire Dog

Sparky the Fire Dog was a program created back in the 1950’s for kids who wanted to join Sparky’s Fire Department and learn all about fire safety. Sparky has grown through the years, adding magazines, a website and even a song to his resume. He teaches fire safety at home and occasionally teams up with Smokey Bear to teach kids outdoor fire safety and prevention.

For resources and activities, please visit: Sparky School House

5. The Summer Program

The public education summer program aims to strengthen public safety in the province by delivering emergency preparedness and fire safety education to students across Saskatchewan. The SPSA summer students (Public Education Program Coordinators) travel the province providing programming to schools, libraries, and daycares to provide this messaging to school-aged children through presentations, activities, and visits from Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog.

Contact us for more information on how to have Sparky and Smokey visit your community by emailing us at publiceducationspsa@gov.sk.ca.

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