Redfern Fire Station Protect Your Mob Poster

ARTIST: Four children who entered the Aboriginal Fire Safety Competition

DATE: 2011

Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner Greg Mullins launched an Aboriginal Fire Safety campaign at Redfern Fire Station in 2011, aimed at reducing Aboriginal deaths and injuries from residential fires.

At the launch, a large mural with the theme of fire safety was unveiled, after a statewide art competition for children held last year.

The new mural on the northern wall of Redfern Fire Station was unveiled, showing the four colourful artworks that were chosen from 160 entries in the statewide art competition. The judges included representatives from local Aboriginal organisations.

The winners, aged between nine and 13 years, live in the towns of Lambton and West Wallsend near Newcastle, and in the Sydney suburb of Fairfield. Two of the winners are Aboriginal. Each of the four winners received a digital camera package for their efforts.

"The Aboriginal Fire Safety campaign carries the same messages we tell the broader community – for example, maintaining your smoke alarms and taking care with candles and cigarettes – but in a way that will appeal to Aboriginal people," Commissioner Mullins said.

"These colourful artworks were chosen because of the engaging way they present important fire safety messages of 'stop, drop and roll', 'everyone needs a home escape plan', 'call triple zero', and 'don't smoke in bed'.

The mural was supported by the City of Sydney Council which donated $10,000 in the form of a grant, which was matched by FRNSW. It was also supported by the Department of Education and Training, Redfern Waterloo Authority, the TAFE Eora Centre, Redfern Community Centre, Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service, the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council and the Redfern Aboriginal Housing Company.

Description from; https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/news.php?news=1938