Everyone knows you should never play with fire. But that doesn’t mean that learning about fire safety can’t be fun.
Your friends at the Amherstburg Fire Department want you to play safe and stay safe. We’d be happy to show you around your neighbourhood fire station and introduce you to the men and women who are watching out for you.
There is nothing we like better than meeting kids and talking about fire safety. Ask your teacher to invite us to your school. Together, we can learn about preventing fires from happening and what to do if a fire should start.
We can bring our Fire Safety House to your school. Take a tour and see if you can get out of a burning building.
You can learn how to avoid getting hurt by doing the Risk Watch modules at your school, fire department or other community agency. The modules teach fire and burn prevention, bike and pedestrian safety, poisoning prevention, water safety and other things you need to know. Once you’ve completed the Risk Watch program, you can teach your parents and grandparents about keeping safe.
Perhaps you have already studied fire safety at school with the National Fire Protection Association’s Learn Not to Burn program. The program teaches you to look out for fire hazards and how to respond if a fire breaks out.
If you think you’re not old enough to make a difference, tell it to Jessica Cojacari, who lives in Amherstburg. On May 27, 1995, when Jessica was 10 years old, she and her mother joined their friends on the street to watch a neighbourhood fire works display. After a Roman candle was lit, it shot into the sky but fell down while still ignited. The Roman candle hit Jessica’s mother in the chest and set her sweater on fire. Everybody started to run around, including Jessica’s mom. But the young girl told her mother to Stop, Drop and Roll. Her mother listened and did exactly what her daughter told her to do. Jessica saved her mom’s life.
Jessica had taken the Learn Not To Burn program at her school. So when fire broke out, she knew just what to do. The fire chief of the Amherstburg Fire Department presented Jessica with the Save award for her quick thinking and bravery.
You can learn a lot about fire prevention and safety right here, right now. Click on www.nfpa.org/sparky to link to the homepage of Sparky the Fire Dog ®, the official “spokesdog” of the NFPA. There are lots of cool games and other things to do on Sparky’s website. Have a great time and remember, come and see us when you can!