The site goes live!
The Child Whispering HeartKids® are being used to help Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service to spread important safety messages. The characters, which include children, teenagers, fire-fighters and control operators, feature the voices of young people from the Cambridgeshire village of Sawtry as well as staff from the fire service. The mini HeartKids® website was launched at Sawtry Fire Station in January 2009.
A proud moment!
Wendy Coleman, the Project Manager and Community Safety Advisor said:
“The are the central characters used in the Child Whispering scheme which was launched by the service in May 2008.”
The Colourometer®
She also said: "By using the Colourometer® and the Child Whispering HeartKids®, the approach is non-threatening and easy to use for young people of all ages, abilities and levels of concentration and confidence. It gives them a clear and simple way of communicating the reasons behind their behaviour and understanding why it needs to change."
The Sawtry stars!
At the launch, Chief Fire Officer Graham Stagg handed out certificates of thanks to the youngsters and staff who provided the voices for their cartoon counterparts. As you will have seen, the mini site contains games and video clips teaching important messages relating to fire safety in the home and the dangers of making hoax calls.
Graham Stagg, Chief Fire Officer for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, who features in the HeartKids® website as Watch Manager Strong, said:
“We hope people of all ages have fun as they learn some important messages.”
He also said: “The fact that some of our own staff and young people from the county have helped with voiceovers for the cartoon characters make it even more special and a real team effort.”
Spot the difference!
Chief Fire Officer Graham Stagg and his alter ego, Watch Manager Strong. “Seems like you’re cut out for this job, Sir!”
What a doll!
Sandy Kennedy with Kitty Kind and Fred Funky - the two Child Whispering HeartKids® characters destined for duty on Cambridgeshire fire vehicles.
Mum's the word!
Unmasked – Kiran, the voice of Fred Funky with his proud Mum, Hema.
It's childs play!
Billy, (Rudy Rude) charms the Chief.
A watchful eye!
Fire-fighter Green keeps an eye on some of the Child Whispering project materials. Finally, some words from Wendy Coleman: “Once we realized how effective the HeartKids® were in relaying important safety messages to young people, we decided to use the concept to help teach all children in the county about the dangers of fire and hoax calls and are revising all our teaching materials to feature the Child Whispering characters”.
