Preschool and Elementary Programs
We have had a change of direction in our Fire and Life Safety Education for our Preschool and Elementary programs. In the past, the crew that put on the presentation would teach whatever subject they wanted to. This meant that students may have the same message in consecutive years or that the material may have been too mature for the audience. To remedy this problem, out Fire and Life Education department has developed specific lesson plans that begin in preschool and build on each year until the Forth Grade. Each lesson is aimed specifically at its intended audience with age-appropriate videos and handouts.
Preschool
Kindergarten
First Grade
Second Grade
Third Grade
Fourth Grade
Sixth Grade
The children are introduced to Stretch the Fire Truck as he teaches that matches and lighters are tools and not toys. Stretch also teaches that we should never touch things that could be hot and burn us. This eight minute video is then reinforced by the firefighters as they engage the children in determining whether something is a toy or a tool or whether the object may be hot to the touch. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 45 minutes.
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The children are visited again by Stretch the Fire Truck. Stretch will teach the children the lesson that every adult still remembers from their childhood visit from firefighters, Stop, Drop & Roll. This seven minute video is again reinforced by the firefighter by going over each of the important steps of this process. Time permitting, the students are then given time to practice Stop, Drop & Roll. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 45-55 minutes.
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The children are again visited by Stretch the Fire Truck and are taught what to do when the smoke alarm goes off and there is smoke in the home. This ten minute video is again reinforced by the firefighter by going over each of the points that were mentioned in the video. Students will have time to practice the things that they have learned. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 50-60 minutes.
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This lesson deals with the proper phone number that people should call in case of an emergency. Students are also taught what types of things constitue an emergency and the information that they will need to be able to give to a dispatcher. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 50-60 minutes.
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Students are taught the proper exit techniques in case of a fire emergency in their home. The instructional video is in the form of a game show where the participants earn points by utilizing the proper techniques and have points deducted for not completing critical tasks. The lessons are again reinforced by the firefighter by going over each of the points that were mentioned in the video. Students will be given a “homework” assignment to draw out the exit plans for their home complete with a meeting place. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 50-60 minutes.
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Students are taught how to spot potential hazards in their own home by watching a group of kids hunt for hazards through a fictitious firehouse. The most common problems that can cause house fires are then reviewed by the firefighter/instructor. Students are challenged to find the potential hazards in their own home. Following this lesson, the students will watch as a firefighter dresses in the gear that he or she will wear into a fire. This is done slowly so that the children will not be afraid of a firefighter when they are wearing all of the “scary” clothes. The children are then given a tour of the fire truck or fire trucks depending on the station. This entire tour normally takes approximately 50-60 minutes.
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During their Outdoor Lab week, students are introduced to the concept of wildland fire mitigation. Students are given a felt board and a home, trees, water source, and other items to build their ideal mountain home. After discussing how to protect your mountain homes from wildfire before the fire starts, students are then allowed to mitigate the problem that was created by the initial build. Time permitting, the students are given a short lesson in the potential bad outcomes from playing with fire by watching a video of people who have caused damage to people and things because they were “playing with fire.”
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