On Tuesday, May 21, a group of firefighters stopped by the Niverville Co-op Playgroup to talk fire safety. Irene Falk, director of the preschool program, says the visit is always a big hit with the kids. Indeed, members of the Fire Department have been making this annual visit to the preschool for about 20 years, and according to Fire Chief Keith Bueckert it’s a huge highlight for them as well.
“Our message to the preschool is about matches and lighter safety,” Bueckert says. “We tell the kids that matches and lighters are tools and not toys. If you see matches and lighters lying around, tell a big person or bring them to a big person. We never want kids to play with fire. Matches and lighters, when played with, start little fires that can turn into big fires. We talk about good and bad fires. For example, a birthday cake with candles is a good fire. But an unattended candle that tips over can start a bad fire.”
It’s not all talk, though. After a short presentation, the firefighters took the preschoolers outside and gave them a tour of the town’s fire engine, even giving them a chance to look inside.
“The kids are awesome,” he adds, smiling. “They ask questions about Sparky the Fire Dog, but mostly they like to tell stories. Lots of stories they tell about their parents. Some, I am sure, they would not like repeated.”
Bueckert emphasizes that the sooner people start educating kids about fire safety, the better. He says that children playing with fire is a major cause of fires in the province and cases in our hospitals’ burn units.
“Practicing a fire escape plan for your home is very important,” Bueckert says. “You have to realize they are taught the fire drill in school, so they should know how to escape their home. Parents should know that smoke alarms do not always wake up kids.”
There are new models of fire alarms, he says, that play recordings of a parent’s voice to help wake a child, and recent studies show that these recordings are effective.
He also points out that we need to be more fire-conscious now than ever, since modern constructions techniques have led to homes that burn fast and produce more smoke.
“When a smoke alarm sounds in new construction, we may only have two minutes to escape. Have a meeting place and don’t go back into the fire for anything. Call 911 and teach your child about 911.”