Tuesday, October 18, 2022

Stories to Inspire: Actors Alysia Reiner and David Alan Basche Encourage Fire Safety with New Series of Videos - And They Became Firefighters

Actors Alysia Reiner (Ms. Marvel, Orange is the New Black, Shining Vale) and David Basche (The Exes, Egg) announced today that they are releasing a series of 3 comedic public service announcements to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week. The Hollywood power couple, who became volunteer firefighters in 2022, collaborated  with comedian and fire fighter Willie Zabar, to create the PSAs to encourage people to make their own home fire escape plans. 

The videos debuted  during the week of October 9-15 and will continue to be broadcast through the end of the year. The messaging was inspired by this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” 

“We trained to be fire fighters in our community  as a way to give back during the pandemic, and this campaign seemed like a perfect way to combine our skill sets to make an even bigger impact," states Alysia Reiner.

David Basche states, "We hope these PSAs will inspire families to sit down over dinner and make their own fire escape plans, TODAY! - or at least soon." 

You May Like: Alysia Reiner on Ms. Marvel Interview HERE

The series of three PSAs were produced in cooperation with the Saltaire Volunteer Fire Company in Fire Island, New York. Messaging was sourced from a toolkit released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the international sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM. The PSAs depict characters at three different stages of the life cycle (childhood, adulthood, and old age) to illustrate the fire safety challenges unique to each age group. Here are a few of the tips:

Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.

Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet. 


In addition to the actors, the project’s creative team consisted of Willie Zabar (Director), Rome L. Davis (Executive Producer), and Henry Butler (Audio Engineer). The dialogue was generated using techniques from devised theater and improv comedy. Lessons from the NFPA served as jumping off points for the actors to improvise dialogue, which was then scripted and refined by Zabar and Davis. 

You May Like: Interview with David Alan Basche HERE

 For more information about Fire Prevention Week and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org or call your local fire department’s non-emergency number. 

WATCH THE VIDEOS HERE:


For more information about Fire Prevention WeekTM and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org or call your local fire department’s non-emergency
We trained to be fire fighters in our community  as a way to give back during the pandemic, and this campaign seemed like a perfect way to combine our skill sets to make an even bigger impact," states Alysia Reiner.

The series of three PSAs were produced in cooperation with the Saltaire Volunteer Fire Company in Fire Island, New York. Messaging was sourced from a toolkit released by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the international sponsor of Fire Prevention WeekTM. The PSAs depict characters at three different stages of the life cycle (childhood, adulthood, and old age) to illustrate the fire safety challenges unique to each age group.
 
Lessons featured in the PSAs include: 

Make sure your plan meets the needs of all your family members, including those with sensory or physical disabilities.

Know at least two ways out of every room, if possible. Make sure all doors and windows open easily.

Have an outside meeting place a safe distance from your home where everyone should meet. 

In addition to the actors, the project’s creative team consisted of Willie Zabar (Director), Rome L. Davis (Executive Producer), and Henry Butler (Audio Engineer). The dialogue was generated using techniques from devised theater and improv comedy. Lessons from the NFPA served as jumping off points for the actors to improvise dialogue, which was then scripted and refined by Zabar and Davis. 

David Basche states, "We hope these PSAs will inspire families to sit down over dinner and make their own fire escape plans, TODAY! - or at least soon. 

For more information about Fire Prevention WeekTM and fire prevention in general, visit fpw.org or call your local fire department’s non-emergency number.