A fire service instructor with Bucks County Community College in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Richard Shannon Draper draws upon a work history that includes tenures as fire chief with both the city of Vermillion, South Dakota, and the city of Red Wing, Minnesota. Richard Shannon Draper holds active membership in multiple professional organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association.
Over the past 125 years, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has been endeavoring to maintain and further fire protection standards, research, advocacy, training, education, and public outreach. To teach and reach younger audiences, the NFPA has employed Sparky the Fire Dog since 1951.
In conjunction with a national fire prevention promotional campaign through the Ad Council, the NFPA chose a Dalmatian as its mascot due to its longstanding association with fire houses and firefighters. One of Sparky’s early missions was to get kids to send quarters to the NFPA by mail to become members of Sparky’s Fire Department.
Over the years, Sparky served a variety of public education and awareness functions, reaching audiences through a range of media. The focus and design of the Sparky mascot also changed significantly over the decades, becoming gradually more friendly and inviting.
