Emergency services personnel from Estevan paid a visit to Grade 3 students in all the city’s six elementary schools last Thursday and Friday, telling them by means of a video presentation and demonstrations, just what they could and should do in the event of an emergency situation.
It was all part of the annual Emergency Preparedness Week, said Helen Fornwald, Estevan’s Emergency Measures manager and co-ordinator who opened each presentation with an interactive video program that caught the youngster’s attention.
Roberta DeRosier of the Red Cross, spoke to the children about what emergency articles they should include in a backpack that every family should keep at the ready in case they needed to leave their home in a hurry in the event of a fire, flood or tornado.
Fire Rescue Chief Dale Feser and Deputy Chief Charles Olsen spoke to the students about what they had to do in the event of a fire or rescue operation, and how students could help them do their jobs efficiently, and how they could spread the word about how safety comes first and what to do in various types of emergencies.
The Estevan team was joined by Yvette Yuzak who is the public education co-ordinator for the emergency management, fire safety provincial team based in Regina.
The children asked questions about saving pets, what to do under certain circumstances and why they needed to be prepared for at least four days away from their homes in the event of a more serious event.
“Make your plan together, with all your family members, so you will all know what to do, and where the other family members will be, if you have to escape from different routes,” said DeRosier.
