Bethlehem, PA, September 25, 2017 – On Thursday, September 28, at a special school assembly at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Bethlehem Township, Kasey the Labrador Retriever will help to teach Kindergarten through 6th grade students about fire safety.
Kasey is part of the The Kasey Program©, an educational program that teaches children fire and life safety skills. Kasey and her partner firefighter/paramedic Jeff Owens travel the country bringing their life saving message.
Jeff Owens, a retired firefighter/paramedic after more than 31 years of service, devotes himself full-time to the program he developed in 1994. He now schedules approximately 400 programs and reaches more than 400,000 people annually.
Kasey is a black Labrador retriever who has been trained to demonstrate the life-saving skills taught. During the program Kasey demonstrates how to:
- stop, drop and roll
- feel a door to see if it’s hot before opening it
- knowing two ways out of every room
- telling an adult when you find matches and lighters
- crawling under smoke to escape
- call 911 when you have an emergency
- have a meeting place outside our home
Through Kasey performing many of the life safety skills and this significant safety message is given to the children in an entertaining and educational manner. Kasey is a therapy dog and she has been trained in search and rescue. Kasey wears the badge of the Wayne Township Fire Department, located on the West Side of Indianapolis, and is based in the Indianapolis area.
Some of Kasey’s achievements are:
- Certificate of Achievement by the Indiana Emergency Medical Service Commission for Children.
- Honored by Mayor Bart Peterson, Mayor of Indianapolis, for her achievements in child safety education.
- The 2005 Indiana Vetinary Medical Association Pet Companion of the year.
- News stories by Dateline, CNN, as well as all area Television media.
- Certificate of Achievement by the Indiana Safe Kids Coalition.
- Jeff Owens received the Indiana Fire & Life Safety Educator on the Year in 2014 from the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association
- 2014 Proclimation by Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard for the Kasey Programs dedication to teaching fire & life safety to children
- 2015 Health Care Hero awarded by the Indiana Emergency Medical Service Commision for Children
- Jeff was awarded the Public Educator of the Year award for 2014 by the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association
Mr. Daniel Moser, Principal at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, said “At OLPH, our goal is excellence in education and a well-rounded curriculum, which includes fire prevention and safety. We understand that preparing children in how to react in the event of a fire is critical. This knowledge base is what a child will refer to to quickly snap into action and escape to safety as quickly as possible in the event of a fire.”
The Kasey Program is sponsored by Koorsen Fire and Security, with their corporate headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. Koorsen Fire and Security has built its business on providing safe environments to work and live in and wanted to be a major player in protecting our young people from injuries that are preventable.
Established in 1964, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (OLPH) is located in Bethlehem, PA. The Catholic-based school is incorporated into the educational system of the Diocese of Allentown. Recognizing that Christian education is a lifelong process, OLPH encourages the child’s whole development and nurtures the spiritual, intellectual, social, physical, and psychological well-being of each individual. As a diocesan school, OLPH is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools (MSCES).
Information Provided By:
Robin M. Nieto, M.Ed
Advancement Director
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School
3221 Santee Rd
Bethlehem, PA 18020
