Both the Primary and Secondary School
education programmes are driven by the Service's belief that publicity
and education are the best means of improving fire safety awareness as
well as a knowledge of all the hazards associated with fire. By targeting
specific areas of concern within the community at large, a safer environment
for all will evolve. In all matters related to fire, prevention is certainly
better than cure and the Service is fully commited to reducing the number
of fires and deaths from fire by all means available.
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2. Primary Schools
Fire Safety in Primary Schools is divided into three age groups :-
Group 1 (4-7 year olds)
Each class visits the Community Fire Safety Vehicle to ensure
that each child receives a 20 to 30 minute introduction to the
Fire Service and the work that is carried out. Inside the school
premises another 20 to 30 minute presentation takes place introducing
the dangers associated with fire. This involves the use of numerous
"props", stories and films. The talk is presented in
a language easily understood by the children and allows for a
great deal of audience participation.
Group 2 (7-8 year olds)
The second safety talk in this progressive learning programme
lasts 45 to 60 minutes and reintroduces the children to the dangers
of fire whilst expanding on the dangers associated with heat and
smoke. Once again, the children are encouraged to participate
fully whilst adopting various mottos and catchphrases along the
way. Personal safety issues, for example, the correct procedure
for extinguishing burning clothing is covered. Each class also
have a 30-minute visit to the Community Fire Safety Vehicle where
the safety messages are reinforced and the work of the Fire Service
is again covered.
Group 3 (8-10 year olds)
This is the last talk that takes place during the Primary School
education programme. The talk to this group lasts between 60 to
90 minutes and takes full account of the children's ability to
question and reason. This lesson is more thought provoking and
ranges from designing escape plans for the children's own homes
to recognising the consequences of arson, making hoax or malicious
calls. A further visit to the Community Fire Safety Vehicle takes
place where the safety messages are reinforced using the vehicles
presentation equipment.
Smoke Alarm ownership and the Services Home Safety Visits are
actively promoted and the children go home from school encouraged
to discuss the visit to the school by East Sussex Fire & Rescue
Service with parents and the family. The literature that is taken
home by the children for others to read spreads the essential
safety messages beyond the school premises into the home and the
wider community.
There are 217 Primary Schools in the Services area with a total
of 55,880 pupils. This equates to the team visiting each year approximately 109
schools and communicating with 28,000 Primary School children.
EDUCATION TEAM VISIT - PRIMARY SCHOOL LESSON PLANS
- Reception (foundation stage) without community safety vehicle
- Reception (foundation stage) with community safety vehicle
- Years 1 and 2 (key stage 1) without community safety vehicle
- Years 1 and 2 (key stage 1) with community safety vehicle
- Years 3 and 4 (key stage 2) without community safety vehicle
- Years 3 and 4 (key stage 2) with community safety vehicle
- Years 5 and 6 (key stage 2) without community safety vehicle
- Years 5 and 6 (key stage 2) with community safety vehicle
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4. Secondary Schools
The programme is in its second year with 20 of the 38 secondary
schools in the county being visited. The aim is to develop the
programme to the point where it is available to all mainstream
secondary schools, independent schools, special needs schools
- to include those excluded from mainstream education and those
with specific educational needs (visual or hearing impairments,
autism, downs syndrome, etc) and those educated at home.
The programmes aim is to contribute to the delivery of the following three goals :-
- The secondary schools curriculum for key stage three, Personal, social and Health Education (PSHE). This requires year 7 and 8 and 9 students to learn about personal safety, the role of services such as the fire service and what action to take in a range of emergency situations.
- The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister requires the Fire Service to advise the community of the value of a smoke detector and an escape plan.
- ESFRS require that effective measures are taken to drive
down risk in the community, and a session designed to reduce the
occurrence of deliberate fires and hoax calls goes a long way
to achieving this aim.
Each school has two sessions, the first session deals with fire
in the home, why a fire can get out of control, an effective escape
plan and the value of correctly fitted and maintained smoke alarms.
The second visit deals with the social, economic and criminal
aspects of deliberate fire setting and hoax calls.
A typical session lasts about 1 hour, although this can vary. The main focus points will be :-
- The role of the fire service and the diverse nature of
the calls we attend.
- Why domestic fires, and more particularly smoke, claims
many lives each year.
- Where smoke alarms should be fitted and how and why they
should be maintained.
- An effective escape plan and what to do if escape is
prevented.
- The impact on community as a result of arson attacks.
- The potentially serious consequences of hoax calls.
The students are required to discuss these issues and reflect upon the consequences by means of questions and answers, direct "what if" scenarios and a scripted courtroom drama, acted out by the students themselves. They are also required in many cases to produce homework, which centres on the sessions they receive.
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5. Fire Safety on the Web
There are a number of organisations who provide information over the internet to get the Fire Safety message
over to young people. East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service subscribes to the Staywise organisation whose website has
a number of exciting online educational games for young people of all ages (www.staywise.co.uk/activities/).
At a more local level Wealden District Council along with its partners on the Local Strategic Partnerships has produced
a website providing information on Health, Safety and Activities for young people in East Sussex, split into 10-12, 13-15 and 16-19 age groups (www.w4y.co.uk).
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