GSA Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is The Great Safety Adventure?

A: The Great Safety Adventure is a mobile home safety learning experience created by the Home Safety Council. It's a traveling exhibit housed on a semi-tractor trailer truck that, when parked and opened, creates a nearly 1,000 square foot "field trip on wheels." Inside, children learn how to identify common dangers found in the home.

Q: Why home safety?

A: More than 2,000 children suffer a fatal home injury each year and another 3.4 million nonfatal home injuries suffered by children are treated in hospital emergency departments annually. In fact, home injuries cause nearly 20,000 deaths and 21 million medical visits on average each year. In response to these staggering statistics, the Home Safety Council aims to educate Americans about dangers in the home and what they can do to prevent injuries BEFORE they happen.

Q: What is the Home Safety Council?

A: The Home Safety Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping prevent the nearly 21 million medical visits that occur on average each year from unintentional injuries in the home. Through national programs and partners across America, the Home Safety Council works to educate and empower families to take actions that help keep them safe in and around their homes. To learn more about the Council’s programs, partnerships and resources, visit the Home Safety Council at www.homesafetycouncil.org.

Q: In each market, where will the tour typically stop?

A: The Great Safety Adventure tours across America visiting schools, childcare centers, festivals, museums and local Lowe's stores along the way.

Q: Is the tour open to the public?

A: Yes -- when the tour stops on weekends at Lowe's locations and in certain stops such as the YMCA's and other public venues within the communities. At these stops, parents are encouraged to tour the exhibit with their children.

Q: How was The Great Safety Adventure concept developed?

A: After a lot of focus group testing with children. The Home Safety Council thoroughly researched how kids learn and what makes a memorable experience for five to ten year olds. Creating The Great Safety Adventure provides an interactive, educational environment for children that makes learning about home safety fun -- exciting -- and, most importantly, memorable.

Q: What steps were taken to make the project a reality and to construct the exhibit?

A: The Home Safety Council and its board members developed the concept, tested the concept heavily with educators and students alike, fine-tuned the idea and began exhibit construction. The exhibit is another example of the Home Safety Council's long-standing commitment to home safety education -- and to the community.

Q: Can you walk us through the exhibit experience?

A: The Great Safety Adventure is designed to appear as a giant house that children can explore and learn from. Participants enter the exhibit through a twenty-foot inflatable entranceway then, proceed through a living room, kitchen, backyard, bathroom and bedroom. In each room inside, a combination of special effects, animation and interactivity teach children how to identify common dangers in the home. Complete The Great Safety Adventure and become a Safety Ranger!

Q: Who is Rover?

A: Rover is the official mascot of The Great Safety Adventure. He's the dog whose nose KNOWs safety -- what we like to call a home safety hound. To help keep the home safety learning experience fun for children, Rover was designed to emphasize the importance of sniffing out home dangers -- then bringing those dangers to the attention of an adult.

Rover teaches children to yell "CODE RED ROVER, GROWN UP COME OVER" when they identify a danger in the home. Onboard the exhibit, Rover's nose turns red, flashes and sounds a siren when a danger is nearby. Children then use flashlights to help identify the danger and learn how to correct the problem.

Q: Who delivers the safety messages onboard?

A: The Great Safety Adventure has a four person home safety trained permanent staff that travels across country with the exhibit. These individuals have been thoroughly trained to deliver home safety messages to the K-4th grade audience. In addition, at each tour stop a group of volunteers from the local Lowe's store is on-hand to offer additional event support.

Q: Does the exhibit charge per visit?

A: The exhibit is completely free of charge. There is no fee to participate and no obligation. The Great Safety Adventure is brought to you by the Home Safety Council as a public service.

Q: What if people want more information about The Great Safety Adventure or home safety?

A: They should visit www.homesafetycouncil.org for additional information.