|
SCHOOL PROGRAMS
School
programs are the heart of public education for the fire
district. Each year, over 6000
students are educated in the areas of fire safety, water safety,
injury prevention, and life choices. Most students receive one to three visits per year in their classrooms
from public educators, as well as participating in some major events during the
school year.
The fire
department has a clown and puppet troupe that performs
during fire prevention month and also before school gets out for
the summer. The students
love the characters and the shows. The performance during fire
prevention week focuses on the elements given for National Fire
Prevention Week by NFPA. The performance given before school
gets out is a Summer Safety show. Water safety, bike safety,
pedestrian safety, and stranger danger are key elements for this
program. Approximately 1300 students take part in the clown and
puppet shows.
Individual
classroom education begins as early as preschool. Preschool
children are taught “what’s hot and what’s not” during fire
prevention month and water safety in June. Classroom
education continues all the way through high school. Programs
vary including: home fire safety, water safety, injury
prevention, bike helmets, 9-1-1 simulator training, and making
good life choices. These programs are loved by teachers,
students, and parents alike. Teachers are free to contact the
fire department if they observe a specific need for an
educational area and the educators will create a program to fit
that need.
STATION TOURS
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.
FIRE
SAFETY TRAILER
The fire safety
trailer is a tool the fire department uses to teach children
fire safety for the home and how to get out of their house
alive. The environment of the trailer is very comfortable
and child friendly. The trailer has three rooms including
a living room, kitchen, and a bedroom (which is located in the
upstairs portion of the trailer). Each room is staffed by
a fire department member who teaches the children the elements
appropriate for that room.
 The children
spend about five minutes learning the elements of safety for
each room. They 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 when the students
go 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 a pre-arranged 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 the fire departments within the county.
FIFTH GRADE FIRE DRILL
During the school year each fifth
grade class puts 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.
Fire Department Public Educators provide the teachers with an assignment sheet for their class.
The teachers assign each student a role during the fire drill. There is strong student involvement
in this class, not just a
lecture format.
After a 45 minute preparation,
the students 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.
A homework assignment is 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 Fire Station
Number Two by calling 928-754-2001.
Career Day
Each May, we schedule fifth
graders to visit the fire station for career day, and a little
fun with water. First we visit their classrooms 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 career day.
When the students arrive, the safety rules for the day
are reviewed. We then split the classes
into two groups Students are also divided into six or seven
member teams. We walk about a half block to a park. Two courses
are 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.
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
inch hose to
a safety gated Y, connect the nozzle, and drag the hose to the
starting line, staying far behind it. The balance of the team gets
the buckets ready to fill from the 1 ½ inch hose and run down to the
large trash barrel. Again a matrix is used to call the teams up
to compete.
Halfway through the day, everyone takes
a break. The students bring their lunches, along with drinking
water and sun tan lotion. This is a day many
Bullhead students remember for the rest of their lives.
|
