WAKAW - Fire Safety is an important topic for everyone and it is never too soon to start teaching children how to be safe around fire. The Kindergarten class at Bruno School got an up-close look at the equipment firefighters use in their jobs protecting the community. Volunteer firefighters, Darnell and Hugh, gave the students a tour of the fire hall and showed them the equipment stored in the trucks and of course answered many questions. And of course, no tour of a fire hall would be complete without being able to check out the cab of a firetruck!
Fire Prevention Week was observed from October 5th to 15th, 2022 with this year marking its 100th Anniversary. This year’s campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape”, works to educate everyone about simple yet important actions they can take to keep themselves and those around them safe from home fires. Young children are curious about everything the adults in their lives do and it is important to review these things regularly to make sure that they understand.
It can take as little as one second to cause a deep burn injury on a child’s skin. If a fire happens it is easy to forget the basics, so reviewing regularly helps to anchor safety plans in everyone’s mind. Fire Prevention Week is an opportunity for everyone not only schools, to share information about the importance of smoke alarms, fire escape plans, and other fire prevention tips.
The Saskatchewan Prevention Institute has Fire Safety information on their website including the video Kookum’s Gift: The Gift of Fire. This is a video that can be watched by families at home to start the discussion about fire safety and prevention. Annie Ledoux was an Elder and Kookum (Grandmother in Cree) from Mistawasis First Nation here in Saskatchewan. This teaching video features Kookum teaching her grandchildren about respecting fire and its spiritual significance in their cultural traditions. Downloadable colouring pages accompany the video reinforcing the important messages.
The Bruno Kindergarten students report they had so much fun and learned a lot too. And they say “Thanks to our volunteer firefighters for all you do to keep Bruno safe!”
