Louisiana has a new ambassador for fire safety, complete with a catchphrase. The Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal introduced Pelly-Can on Thursday, a pelican mascot created to help deliver fire and life safety messages to communities across the state.
According to the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshal, Pelly-Can was built specifically to carry important safety messages to Louisiana residents, framing the rollout as a statewide education push rather than a one-off local event. The pelican was chosen for its connection to the state, according to WBRZ, and comes with a catchphrase built for maximum memorability: “Making Fire Safety Soar in Louisiana.”
State Fire Marshal Chief Chad P. Sonnier said the mascot is meant to be approachable while still getting serious safety information across. Sonnier, who serves as the Louisiana State Fire Marshal, said Pelly-Can is a fun and recognizable way to connect with communities while delivering important safety messages, per the station's report.
What Pelly-Can Is Actually Meant To Teach
The mascot isn't just for photo ops. The campaign is designed to support messaging on smoke alarms, home fire escape planning, cooking safety, carbon monoxide, generator safety, disaster preparedness and older adult safety, the outlet reported — a mix that covers both everyday household risks and the kind of emergency prep that matters during hurricane season and power outages.
Per the same account, Pelly-Can will serve as the public face for the agency's Community Risk Reduction public education programs, as KTBS reported. That puts the pelican at the center of how the state's fire marshal's office plans to reach residents going forward, rather than treating the character as a one-time novelty.
Materials Headed To Local Fire Departments
The State Fire Marshal's Office plans to provide Pelly-Can educational materials to local fire departments, the article notes, with planned items including activity sheets, coloring pages and social media graphics. The idea is to give departments across Louisiana a ready-made toolkit rather than asking each one to build safety messaging from scratch.
Pelly-Can is also expected to show up in person. The mascot will appear at fire department events, schools, community gatherings and on social media, the same report states, pairing printed materials with face-to-face appearances and an online push aimed at reaching a wider audience than either approach could manage alone.
