Assistant Chief Lee Dunham of the Campville Fire Department / Town of Owego Fire District is taking the Close Before You Doze message to the streets using a dollhouse to demonstrate the impact that a closed door can have on the spread of fire and smoke.

As a New York State Fire Instructor, Dunham felt that it was important to get the message out about closing doors to prevent the spread of fire in a structure the importance of closing bedroom doors before going to bed at night. After learning of the Close Before You Doze campaign, Dunham partnered with Donald Shultz, a local Middle School Technology teacher to acquire his help in building a doll house. Shultz saw this as a great opportunity to involve his students in, so they build the doll house for Dunham. The doll house has a Plexiglas front, making it easy to visualize how quickly smoke can travel through a home. All students who participated in this project saw the value and significance of their efforts in teaching the general public about fire and smoke safety.

Now that he has the doll house, Dunham and the Campville Fire Department use it to teach fire prevention practices inside schools and at public events. “As a fire department, we understand the importance of closing your door to slow the spread of fire. We felt compelled to deliver that message to residents who normally keep doors inside their home open,” said Lee Dunham, Campville Fire Department member and New York State fire instructor.