In November of 1985, in order to try to put an end to arson attacks in the area, Portland was given $25,000 to put towards anti-arson programming. The Portland Fire Prevention Project, the Louisville Fire and Police Departments, the Arson Investigation Office, and the Boys and Girls Clubs, Inc gathered to devise a way to effectively put this money to use. Their plan? Recruit local children to keep their neighborhoods safe!
Members of the Youth for a Fire-Free Portland team made a “three-level attack” plan that students would be involved with. Step one was to offer a scholarship to local schools for the best fire prevention-themed play. The next step was to train clubs like the Block Watch and Arson Block Watch to identify signs of potential arson before they could occur. Finally, they asked local youth to create mottos and logo designs for the project so that they could be printed on things like stickers and stationary to raise awareness. In the Portland Anchor’s December 1985 issue, Portland Anchor writer John Barrows Jr. — himself the director of Project Youth which was involved in the creative aspect of the plan — penned an article on the creation of the program.
Do you remember the Youth for a Fire-Free Portland Project? Were you a member? Was your logo chosen? Did you write the best fire prevention-themed play?
