BY TOM KIURSKI
The allure of the firefighters with their big, shiny trucks is a draw for many in the community.
Although many fire departments have conducted Open Houses to entertain and educate their communities for years, how much education really occurs at such an event? Many visitors will line up to try on the firefighter’s boots and coat, to sit in a fire truck, and to squirt the fire hose, but “Stop, Drop and Roll,” “Crawl Low Under Smoke,” and other vital fire safety lessons are less popular. Many kids may have gone through these exercises before, but they still need the practice to improve on them and refresh their memory on the proper time and place to perform the behaviors.
 Photo courtesy of Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department. |
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With minor changes in the typical Open House, we can better ensure that the audience is learning what it needs to learn and not just “squirting water.” The ability to prove that learning has reached the desired audience is beneficial to all parties involved, especially in this time of tight budgets. One innovative program, from the Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department (DGFD), allows families to have fun and learn at the same time.
Public Education Coordinator Marsha Giesler came up with the idea as she pondered the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) Fire Prevention Week theme, “The Great Escape.” What other kind of “escape” could tie in with this theme? A vacation! Below is an outline based on the program.
At the start of the “Passport to Safety” program, kids check in with the Welcome Aboard! Travel Agent, who issues each child (between about five and 12 years of age) a passport and explains how their participation in the day’s activities is documented. Children can visit any of the “fun” areas for as long as they want, but to complete their passport they must visit the 10 learning “ports of call,” spending a brief time at each to learn some basic safety lessons. After reviewing safety information, they receive an inked stamp on the appropriate page of their passport. Each learning station has a clever, creative name that kids and parents appreciate (see photos 1 and 2). Livonia Fire & Rescue’s (LF&R) program played up the tropical theme, which featured tropical music, bubbles floating out of an automatic bubble machine, and firefighters working the event wearing leis.
The first educational “port of call” is “Hawaii- Five-Know,” a takeoff on the popular old television show. Here, kids try to answer five basic child safety questions (What are your telephone number and address? What do you do if you get lost in a store?). Downers Grove staffed its station with volunteers from the local Kiwanis group, which had an existing child identification program that fit the bill perfectly. Marsha Giesler attended one of their monthly meetings and enlisted their help.
The next station, “No Fire Island” or “Fireless Island,” addresses home fire safety. Firefighters at this station help the kids learn and practice basic fire safety behaviors, such as what to do if their room is filled with smoke or their clothing is on fire.
The third stop, “Port of CALL,” involves what number to call in case of emergencies. Dispatch personnel can run the station and demonstrate basic phone use tips and when and how to call 911. Telephones are good props to use here—rotary dial and push-button types. Personnel can explain that 911 is a free call on pay phones.
“Bike’s Peak” is the fourth stop and stresses the importance of wearing helmets when riding bikes. Local police personnel, a local branch of the SAFE Kids, hospital/health care workers, or any other group actively promoting bike safety in your area can operate this station.
 Photo courtesy of Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue. |
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At “Cape Hazardless,” kids have to find the hazards in a miniature house (such as a dollhouse) and tell what should be done to correct basic hazards displayed. Downers Grove used hospital personnel to provide information for this learning station (see photo 3).
Swimming and water safety are addressed at the “Mississafety River.” DGFD used its local YMCA to help teach the kids, and LF&R used lifeguards working for the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. Swimming in groups, the proper use of lifejackets, and diving rules are good lessons to start water safety discussions.
The “Electric Avenue” learning station covers electricity safety. ComEd of Illinois personnel operated a fantastic simulator for DGFD. LF&R relied on a static display of unsafe electrical practices, such as overloaded wires and cracked insulation on electrical cords.
The eighth activity is the adult safety checklist, which Livonia called “Bahama Mama and Daddy Fire Safety.” This covers the basics of home fire escapes and the importance of having working smoke detectors throughout the home. It encourages parents to discuss fire safety with their children and hold a practice home fire drill once they establish and discuss an escape plan.
The ninth port of call is “Kids Rules for Fire Safety,” or “Care-of-Being Kid Fire Safety.” This firefighter-led activity reinforces what to do with matches and lighters, knowing two ways out of their homes, and fire safety behaviors.
Finally, the kids agree to and sign the “Safety Pledge,” which states they will follow the safety rules that they have learned at the displays.
 Photo courtesy of Downers Grove (IL) Fire Department. |
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Once the activities and education are completed at each port, a worker at that station who helped the child stamps that passport page. You can have small stamps made up easily and cheaply for this. Each table should have a stamp pad. Placing colored dot stickers on each page or a firefighter’s initials or signature are other ways to confirm activity completion.
Once they’ve completed the other stations, the kids visit the final learning station, where their passport is reviewed. If the passport is completed, each child receives a certificate with his name. As an incentive, both DGFD and LF&R presented personalized Frisbees for completed passports. The passports were returned to the kids as a souvenir and to allow them to practice at home the safety lessons they learned at the fire station. The passport’s final page is for local firefighters’ autographs. Kids really got excited about this!
Advanced planning is crucial to attracting crowds to your event. Distribute advertising flyers well in advance, and spread the word through newspaper, television, cable, and radio public service announcements.
Have plenty of firefighters or other staff on hand to help the kids at each activity. In Livonia, Schoolcraft College, which includes a state-certified regional fire training academy, sent its fire academy students to the Open House to work the event. This permitted full staffing at each learning station and allowed the academy students to interact with some of their most appreciative audiences. Civic organizations such as the Kiwanis might also be invited to participate.
Using the “Passport to Safety” program at your next Open House can ensure that participants will not only have fun but receive valuable fire safety lessons, too.
TOM KIURSKI is a firefighter, a paramedic, and the director of fire safety education for Livonia (MI) Fire & Rescue. His book Creating a Fire-Safe Community: A Guide for Fire Safety Educatiors (Fire Engineering, 1999) is a guide for bringing the fire safety message to all segments of the community efficiently and economically.
