They spend about
five minutes learning the elements of safety for the room they
are in. The children begin in the living room where they are
taught about fireplace safety, blocking exits, and dialing
9-1-1. Then the students move on to the kitchen where they are
taught about safety around the stove, electrical shock, and when
they should or should not use a fire extinguisher. The final
element of the fire safety trailer is to take the students
upstairs to the bedroom. The staff member talks with the
students about what to do if they ever hear their smoke detector
go off.
They then
simulate the room filling with smoke (theatrical smoke) and the
students have to practice crawling low to find the window. From
there, they climb down a ladder and go to their meeting place to
call 9-1-1! The fire safety trailer is used by approximately
500 kindergarten students every school year. The fire safety
trailer is owned by the Mohave County Fire Officers Association
and is shared by all fire departments within the county.
The Fifth Grade Fire Drill.
During the school year each fifth
grade class will put on a fire drill on their campus. One of
our schools has ten fifth-grade classes, so each month the fifth
graders do the fire drill. This is a two-hour class. As we
arrive we hand the teacher an assignment sheet for the class.
The teacher assigns each student a role during the fire drill.
This is done as we open the class and recap a fire drill from
start to end. There is strong student involvement, not just a
lecture format.
Each
role is explained. Three or four of the students are Timers,
provided with a stop watch and a school map to time the drill.
They time a small part of the campus on exit times only. Timers
are teamed up with an Observer. The Observer is charged with
taking notes on classes that misbehave during the drill. They
look for students running, skipping, yelling, or playing
around. Then we have Room Checkers. With a map and clipboard,
they enter into classrooms during the drill to check for doors
left open or locked, lights on or off, and to make sure no one
is in the room. We also have Exit Blockers. They hold up signs
that the class makes (while the teacher is completing the
assignment sheet) stating STOP. This forces the teacher and
class to use a different exit route. Sometimes they block exit
doors forcing the class to go through connecting doors. We also
block outside walkways.
After the 45 minute preparation,
they are ready for the drill. Students wear ID badges and are
reminded to look and act professional. After the drill all
students give an oral report on the drill. A form is completed
and provided to the principal. Now it’s time to drive the
message home.
NFPA numbers for fatal fires and
home fire fatalities are written on the board. Students that
like to read are asked to stand. We then pass out copied
newspaper articles detailing fatal home fires. We keep a copy
to assist the students with difficult words. Students stand and
read the articles from all over the United States and a few
local articles. Two stories are about families doing the right
behaviors and surviving a house fire.
A homework assignment is then
issued asking the student and family to design a home exit plan,
test their smoke detectors and conduct a home fire drill. A
return to the classroom seven days later allows us to review the
student’s plans and pass out rewards to the students that
returned the home work. For more information or for forms and
questions, contact our public education office at 928-754-2001.
Career Day for Fifth
Graders.
Each May, we schedule our fifth
graders to visit the fire station for career day, and a little
fun with water. First we visit their classrooms a week in
advance to explain what to wear and what they can bring and what
will be going on during their “career day visit.” Off duty
firefighters and parents assist with running the day.
When the students arrive we go
over the safety rules for the day. We then split the classes
into two groups Students are also divided into six or seven
member teams. We use numbered, color poker chips. We walk about
a half block to a park. We already have the two courses set up
at the park. One course is the Barrel Squirt which includes two
poles, a cable, barrel, 1 ½ inch hose lines, gated Y from 3"
main with a safety person. Teams are called up and fight
against each other. We use a matrix to track each winner and
select the overall rating. We use the chips to assist with
teams, numbers, colors, and boys against girls.
While half the school is fighting
the Barrel Squirt, the other half are on the Make N Brake/Bucket
Brigade. These teams have to connect three links of 1 ½ hose to
a safety gated Y, connect the nozzle, and drag the hose to the
start line, staying far behind it. The balance of the team gets
the buckets ready to fill from the 1 ½" and run down to the
large trash barrel. Again a matrix is used to call the teams up
to compete.
Halfway through the day, we take
a break. The students bring their lunch, along with drinking
water, and sun tan lotion.
Sixth Grade Education
Our sixth grade program is a 50
minute class. We use Fire Power from NFPA and go into great
detail about home fire safety and how many people die each year
in home fires. There is no homework for the sixth grade.
Seventh Grade Program
Our seventh grade program is more
about life safety. We cover in about an hour the eight
components of Risk Watch. With each topic, we review the
Arizona Child Fatality Review Board’s statistics from the
previous year’s report. We focus on the dangers of other
unintentional injuries to young teenagers. Students also read
articles about childhood fatalities. There is no homework.
Eighth Grade Class
Our eighth grader one hour class
is entitled “Consequences For Your Actions.” This custom video
program covers the dangers and the body’s reaction to drugs and
alcohol. Local firefighters, police officers, a doctor, a judge
and even a rehabilitated drug and alcohol user, each address the
students. Students will also read a few newspapers articles
about local children making bad decisions. There is a student
worksheet to be completed during the class and turned in to the
teacher.
Ninth Grade Exploring
Choices
Our ninth grade class continues with a one hour presentation
covering the dangers to high school students who make bad
choices. We also explore more consequences for unsafe actions.
Each story again features local firefighters, a newspaper
reporter, a grieving mom, and a grieving sister who witnessed
her older sister commit suicide in front of her. Each story
involves a child who went to or had the opportunity to go to our
local high school. This video and classroom participation are a
part of this class. Students also complete a worksheet during
the presentation and have a homework assignment of writing a two
page essay.
COMMUNITY
EDUCATION
The
Bullhead City Fire Department provides fire and life safety
education for the community we protect. We speak frequently at
community groups, service clubs, churches, small and large
businesses. Some of our programs are video based and can be
educational and informational.
Programs are available for any
sized group. We offer Live Fire Extinguisher Hands-On Training,
Senior Programs, Exit Drill Planning, When To Call 911,
Understanding The Fire Problem, and many more. Some programs
are video based and can be customized for the group requesting
the program. Hand-outs are available to assist with the
training program. We enjoy every opportunity to keep the
citizens in our city safer. For more information, contact our
Public Education Office at 928-754-2001.
Part
of our community education includes participating in community
events. We attend Health Fairs and Career or Job Fairs. We can
set up a booth or table display and provide information that is
vital to the attendees of the event.
SMOKE
DETECTOR PROGRAM
It
is extremely important to the Bullhead City Fire Department that
all of the homes in the district have working smoke detectors.
The department offers a free smoke detector and batteries to
those families that cannot otherwise afford them. The number
one cause of death in house fires is attributed to the lack of a
working smoke detector. When a smoke detector sounds it gives
you time to exit your home safely. Your smoke detector should
be tested on the first day of every month by pushing the test
button. The battery needs to be replaced once a year. If you
have questions about our free smoke detector program contact the
Fire Prevention Division.
BIKE
SAFETY/BIKE RODEO
Bike
safety is a major issue in this community because there is no
bike helmet law. While the fire department stresses the
importance of injury prevention, including proper bike helmet
use, without a bike helmet law it is very difficult to get kids
to wear them. Major head injuries occur due to the lack of
wearing a helmet while riding. This occurs especially when
children are riding in the desert, on uneven pavement, or gravel
roads without a helmet. Classroom education is offered and
public educators work one on one with the students and talk
about professionals that wear helmets to “Avoid the Pain Helmet
your Brain”.
A bike safety rodeo is held annually at the
Wal-Mart parking lot in March. At that time the fire department
teams up with the police department to mass distribute bike
helmets. A bike safety course is offered for kids to practice
using hand signals and how to ride defensively. Volunteers,
firefighters and police officers assist kids with getting a
helmet that fits them properly before they can take part in the
riding safety course. Experts are also on hand to tune up bikes
and make sure there is proper air in the tires. This event is a
good time for all and approximately 150 kids receive new helmets
from this event.
FIRE PREVENTION/LIFE
SAFETY FAIR
Over
600 area children take part in the annual Fire Prevention Fair
in Community Park. This is the largest event that the Bullhead
City Fire Department Public Education Division hosts in the
City. There are over 20 educational activity booths for
children to take part in. Area agencies take part in the event
to staff all of the booths. These agencies include: Bullhead
City Fire Department, Bullhead City Police Department, Mohave
County Sheriff’s Department, Tribal P.D., California Highway
Patrol, DPS, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Southwest
Gas, Mohave Electric, WARMC, Fort Mohave Fire Department, Mohave
Valley Fire Department, Golden Shores Fire Department, and the
San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department. There is apparatus for
kids to look at and climb on including a helicopter. Several
demonstrations take place throughout the day including a police
dog demonstration, a Jaws of Life demonstration, and a dive team
demonstration. One student is even chosen to ride in the
helicopter up to the hospital. This is an educationally
exciting day for the fire department.
CAR SEAT PROGRAM
The Bullhead
City Fire Department has two nationally certified car seat
technicians. These technicians provide education to parents and
guardians about the proper use of child car seats. The
department also offers a car seat assistance program to income
qualifying families. Two car seat inspection/distribution days
are held annually at Fire Station One. Car seats are provided
throughout the year by appointment only at the Fire Prevention
Division at Station Two. This program is funded through grants
and donations.
Fire station
tours are given to all kindergarten students within the district
at the end of the school year. It is a half day field trip for
the students. They get to see where the firefighters live, eat,
and work. The highlight of this trip is getting on the fire
engine and inside the ambulance. Station tours are also offered
for scout groups earning merit badges. 
