Fire Prevention Week
OPINION —
As a teacher, I really look forward to Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 7 through 11 this year. I know students will enjoy and learn so much, and I want to thank our local fire departments for taking the time to teach us about fire safety.
Firefighters visit our schools and do a wonderful job teaching young children to “stop, drop and roll.” Firefighters wear their uniforms so children will know what they look like and will recognize them as friends. They instruct the children to have a fire escape plan for their families.
The firefighters are very patient, letting children climb through the fire trucks, learn about equipment and hear the siren.
Trips to the fire station provide good learning opportunities. Local fire departments are so good in passing wonderful resources for the students and teachers to use.
There are rules and lessons about fire safety that we as families also need to teach our young children. The most important one is teaching them how and when to call 911 to report an emergency. Teach your youngster to clearly say his/her name and address. Have them practice on a play phone or on a real phone that has been disconnected.
Teach your child at home about what to do when they see or smell smoke. Repeat the “stop, drop and roll” safety rule and teach the “smoke crawl.” Go over your household fire plan with your child until they fully comprehend. Draw it out for them. At school we practice with fire drills, and they can be done at home as well. Role play with your young child to practice crawling and to “stop, drop and roll,” as though there was real fire and smoke.
Fire Prevention Week’s Theme in 2024 is “Smoke Alarm Safety.” Check to see if your home smoke alarm is installed and working properly. It is important for your child to be familiar with the sound of the smoke alarm, so turn them on for your young child to hear and recognize what they sound like. Also explain the purpose of the fire extinquisher. Be sure to explain how this is properly used to put out a fire.
From youngest to oldest, discuss fire escape routes for your family beforehand so they will not be scared or confused if an emergency arises.
Stress to your children that they should definitely not play with matches or around fires. Also, stress to them not to play around a hot stove or any area in which a possible fire might break out. Always have anything you might consider unsafe out of the reach of the young hands of a child.
The libraries have some wonderful books about fire safey that you might want to check out and read to your child.
Use a firefighting theme in teaching your young child about math and language arts. A simple fire truck can be made out of construction paper shapes such as a rectangle for the fire truck body, circles for the wheels and triangles for cones they may carry on their trucks. As you can see, a lesson on shapes has been taught.
Counting and physical coordination can be taught by playing with a ladder laid flat on the floor. Stress to your child that ladders are used to reach people up high. As you play with the ladder flat on the floor; count the rungs and have your child safely walk between them.
In the physical area of play, your child can pretend to squirt a hose to put out a fire. Let them tell you the steps they will take in putting out a fire.
Also write thank you notes with your child, even drawing pictures to give to your local fire departments. This will give your child a good sense of community spirit and how people come together to help each other. Our local firefighters will appreciate this so much.
Beth Pinyerd has taught many years in the classroom. She holds a master’s degree in early childhood education.
