"Fun and Creative Ways to Celebrate National Coloring Day with Your Kids in Mott Haven"

The Mott Haven Community Partnership collaborated with the Administration for Children’s Services and FDNY to organize a fire prevention event at PS18 in Mott Haven.

PS 1 and PS 18 Children

Mott Haven Collective | Aug 2, 2024, 4:50 PM

This past Thursday, August 2nd, the Mott Haven Community Partnership, in collaboration with the Administration for Children's Services, FDNY, Bronx Public School 1, and community stakeholders such as NYPCC, IncludeNYC, Hispanic Federation, and Lincoln Hospital, celebrated National Coloring Day. The event was a testament to the power of community engagement in fire prevention. Mott Haven's Partnership Director, Dan J. Montas Tran, spoke to more than 200 residents about the importance of fire prevention and why this event was so meaningful to him and his staff. Montas Tran first hosted this event at Public School 49 two years ago in 2022, coming out of the pandemic. He mentioned this event is a great way to build community and bring resources to families in the South Bronx.

Despite the scorching temperatures above 90 degrees, the crowd, especially the children, had a blast with the bouncy house brought by MHCP and the rock climbing activity brought to the event by NYPD. This unique fire prevention event was not just about learning, but also about having fun. It featured multiple resources, including fire prevention workshops by FDNY. Children had the opportunity to ask their burning questions and interact with the firefighters at the event. FDNY even brought their simulator smokehouse, allowing children to experience and understand what to do in the event of a fire in their homes. Montas Tran, acknowledging the high number of fires in recent years in the South Bronx, was resolute in bringing this event back to the community when ACS approached about hosting again this year in 2024.

Mott Haven Community Partnership hopes families learned a valuable lesson about fire prevention and that their children will spread the word amongst their friends who could not attend so that more workshops on fire prevention can be conducted.