Fire Prevention Week PSA Reel Contest

Students aged 13 to 18 who live in or attend public, private, virtual or home school in the City of Brantford are invited to create a 15 to 30 second public service announcement (PSA) reel that helps promote the 2026 Fire Prevention Week theme of Safe Charging Is a Superpower. Entrants under 18 require parent/legal guardian consent. Students are encouraged to include at least one accurate fire or safety message about charging lithium-ion powered devices. Examples include:

• Battery safety starts before you plug in. Buy products listed by a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as UL, ETL, or CSA.
• Cheap charger? Don’t chance it. Use the cord and charger that came with your lithium-ion powered device or one approved by the manufacturer
• Soft surfaces? Hard pass. Charge lithium-ion devices on a hard, flat surface, like a table, desk, counter, or bare floor
• Feels hot? Stop using it. Stop using your device if it feels very hot, start to swell, smell strange, leak, smoke, or make popping or hissing sounds
• Fully charged? Time to unplug. Unplug lithium-ion devices when fully charged
• For tools and rides, charge outside. Items like e-bikes, scooters, and power tools outside when possible. Do not block exits when charging.

Brantford Fire will select the top three videos who will receive the following prizes for helping to spread fire safety messaging:

First place: JBL Tune 770 wireless headphones donated by FM Audio Video
Second place: Bose Soundlink Flex SE Portable Speaker
Third place: $50.00 in Dairee Delite gift cards donated by Dairee Delite

Contest rules

• Must include original work
• Must include a clear call to action, informing the public of what they can do to stay safe
• Fire and life safety information must be accurate. Reliable sources may include NFPA, Office of the Fire Marshall Emergency Management, Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI), Charged for Life, or another recognized fire, life safety, government, or research organization. The source does not need to appear in the PSA reel
• No profanity or content inappropriate for a school or community audience.
• No dangerous demonstrations or false/misleading fire and life safety information.
• The message must be suitable for a general public and school-age audience and must comply with the Official Contest Rules.Third-party music, images, video clips, logos or other protected material may only be used where the entrant has all permissions and licences necessary for the City to use and republish the PSA.
• Selected entries may be shared by the City of Brantford and Brantford Fire Department for educational, promotional, public-information, fire-prevention and other municipal purposes, subject to the Official Contest Rules and required consents.
• The City reserves the right to determine eligibility, disqualify entries that do not meet the Contest requirements, and decline to publicly share an entry. Submission constitutes acceptance of the Official Contest Rules. Entrants under 18 must provide the required Parent/Guardian Consent & Release.

Safety during filming

No contest entry is worth risking an injury or starting a fire. Students may NOT:

• Create or intentionally start a real fire.
• Intentionally overheat, puncture, crush, modify, or damage a battery or device.
• Intentionally misuse a charger, charging cable, battery, or device.
• Create an electrical hazard or perform another dangerous act for filming.

Unsafe behaviour should not be performed for the camera, even to show what not to do. Use simulations, graphics, animation, creative editing, or other safe methods instead.

Personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the Municipal Act 2001, S.O. 2001,c.25, as amended and will be used to promote safety messaging during Fire Prevention Week October 4 to October 10, 2026. Questions about this collection should be directed to: Brantford Fire Department, Station 1, 60 Clarence St, Brantford, Ontario N3T 5M3, 519-752-0540 ext. 5, fire@brantford.ca