Teaching fire safety in schools
We provide free fire safety education to children in primary and secondary schools within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
Our fire crews, community fire safety officers and community champions carry out interactive educational workshops in schools and at fire stations, reaching out to thousands of Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 children every year.
Operational staff use their training, experience and expertise to deliver fire safety messages in a sensitive and reassuring way to ensure children understand the importance of home fire safety without becoming unduly worried about a fire happening in their home.
The workshops are also carefully managed to reduce the risk of their natural curiosity about fire developing into an interest in deliberately lighting fires.
The skills and knowledge gained during the free educational workshops can be used by young people throughout their lives and into adulthood.
They are encouraged to share these important messages with their friends and families, helping to make them safer from fire in the home too.
School events providing interactive learning for children and young people
Our staff deliver fire safety workshops that teach young people about preventing, detecting and escaping safely from fire in the home.
Each primary school workshop lasts approximately 60 minutes and pupils work in small groups to complete a variety of activities with a focus on audience participation.
In some areas, schools participate in a Safety Zone programme which will see Year 5 and 6 pupils visit a fire station to take part in a range of interactive workshops run by the fire service and partner agencies, all focused on staying safe.
The education for secondary school children can be delivered either at an assembly or in a classroom; the duration can be adapted to suit the requirements of the school. The topics include the consequences of arson and a specific education scheme is run around water safety.
Before the visit schools are contacted to confirm arrangements and explain, in further detail, how the workshop will operate.
Consideration is given to any additional special needs requirements to ensure the workshop can be adapted to allow every pupil to fully participate in learning.
Fire safety at home
Although our aim is to make children ‘fire safe’ by teaching them about the dangers of fire and smoke, responsibility for making their home safer is very much placed with parents and guardians.
This approach is especially important for younger children who could easily become overwhelmed or anxious if left feeling they are solely responsible for keeping everyone safe.
It also means that they do not put themselves at risk by trying to deal with fire hazards themselves. Make sure your family has a fire escape plan and knows it should a fire occur in your home.