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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
OK guys,
In my first week as a Fire Safety Officer, I'm told that next week I will be required to teach kids from pre-school age to what we used to call Standard 2, about Fire Safety.
I've been reading the "Guidelines for School visits" document and things have changed a LOT since I last gave a school visit in Ashburton.
As far as this document goes, you are not allowed to wear Breathing Apparatus in front of the kids, it could scare them.
Children are also not allowed to hold hoses (generally a High Pressure Hose reel, set to a low pressure), it could get out of control on them.
It is forbidden for any Operational Fire-fighter, Officer or the like to place their own helmet on the head of a young person.
{This I can actually agree with, there was a youngster that had their neck broken after the helmet was too heavy}.
Ask Ray, our helmets are quite heavy.
But this last one really rubbed me up the wrong way.
Quote
It is forbidden that children be let into the cabs of Fire Appliances, these areas are for Qualified persons only.
C'mon, my first experience of a Fire Appliance was sitting in the old Temuka 861, which was an old CF Bedford at the time.
I was at Primary School, the Head-master was the 3rd Officer of the local Fire Brigade.
In a time when we are screaming out for new blood, and you get rules like this??.
One other thing about BA masks, and what have you, at a Fire Station would be the place to see a Fire-Fighter wearing them.
We want to impart the fact that we are there to help not scare children.
Children hide in the most in-accessible places in House Fires, we are trying to stop that.
Your thoughts?.

Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 176
P
Member
If a kindergardener isn't shown what a firefighter looks like with their BA during a demonstration, they may only see it if they are in a fire and get scared then. When I was in kindergarden, and even pre school, they showed us what they look like with their suit on, and told us "If your house is on fire, don't run from a firefighter dressed like this." They were worried about kids getting scared during an emergency and hiding under a bed in a burning house, so our local FD was required to show their equipment.

This is USA, b.t.w.

[This message has been edited by PEdoubleNIZZLE (edited 05-25-2006).]

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Josh,
Fire-fighters around the world are just that.
We usually have 2 people in what we call "dress uniform" at the start of the presentation.
One of us generally suits up in what we call Level 1 PPE, as in boots, overalls.
And L1 Gloves, light duty gloves.
Next goes on is Level 2, Level 2 Bunker coat,
Over-trousers, Gloves (leather).
This is the the level that we enter building and structure fires with.
Overseas, the outer layers are made from what they call Nomex.
Really good stuff too.
Over the top of Level 2 you have a BA set and harness.
And a good Pacific Helmet w/Visor.

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 869
Likes: 4
R
Member
Mike, the P.C. brigade has gone over the top I think.
Exactly what you say happens in Auckland too.
At least my kids 4½ and 7 have the chance to sit in a firetruck if they wish or hold a HPD hose at low pressure to have a squirt behind the firestation is they want on a hot summers day.

At the Titirangi Playcentre they have now removed one 4 meter tall tree, which was left near the playground, in case kids climb them and fall out. He, we all have to learn sometimes by our own mistakes, and it can hurt sometimes

Next step will be mandatory hardhats full time for the kids to go on the swing. It' becoming a bit silly sometimes.

All the bark from the yard was replaced with some form of rubber spray, because bark pieces were a litlle sharp according to some mums.

I do agree, the Fire service helmets are quite heavy, but you don't just chuck it on a 4 y.o. kid anyway, and usually guide it carefully, and tell them that it is heavy if they want to try it.

Just had a K41.1 and 3 status ones in a serious MVA last Thurday and a K99 housefire with a kannabis plantage.

Mike , I hope you enjoy your new job.

Regards Raymond


The product of rotation, excitation and flux produces electricty.
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 68
U
Member
Trumpy,
just listening to the radio. Some town has a very bad turn out for Church attendance.
A new priest (female) was appointed.

She decided to alter the dress code from black & boring/frightening, to.... wait for it...Pink Hair, Pink Car, Pink Cloak (or whatever they'r called!), mind you she kept the white collar!!

Now she don't have to go to them to pursuade them to go to church....They come to her as they as very inquisitive.

Plus more Tv adverts, in kids prime time.

Good Luck!


All I Wanted Was A Cup Of Tea!!
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 223
A
Member
Quote
for the kids to go on the swing
You mean you've still got swings?
There was a council notice in the local rag last week advising of the removal of swings
to "make our playgrounds safer". That's politically correct speak for "we can't afford to pay compo to some greedy parent when kid falls off and breaks arm". Back in my day, kid broke arm and got on with life.

Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 354
K
Member
Excellent point Trumpy about teaching Kids not to be scared of Firemen wearing breathing masks. What can be done about changing this part of the "Guideline For School Visits" ? While you're at it you might as well get the bit about banning kids from sitting in the Fire Engine changed too.

Kids should be able to sit in the Fire Engine cab , crank the siren up and get enthusiastic about the Fire Brigade. Thats what happened when my school visited the Central Christchurch Fire Station when I was a kid. Hell, they even had a dalmation dog at the station!

Perhaps now with plastic being so cheap, every kid could go away from the visit with their own imitation "Firefighter Helmet".

Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Great comments guys,
Look, I'm not on any sort of PC crusade or anything, but being the first at anything in a given area is always hard, reading the drivel in that document saddened me more than anything.
Biggest part of the Fire Safety Division is education, that's OK but to do that with such a restrictive set of rules, takes all the fun out of learning, and learning should be just that, fun, or you never remember it.
I mean, it's not as though we are showing the kids graphic pictures of burn victims or the like, that I would really be against.
----------------------------------------
It went really well on Monday morning, I had a word with our Chief Fire Officer the night before and he told me to do as I felt right.
I did all the stuff I was going to in the first place while the CFO gave the parents a good run down on Fire Safety in the home.
We opened up all the doors on our new Dennis Rapier pump (yes it is English) and let the kids sit in it, they all got to hold the hose and I pulled the pump out into the area behind the station to show them a fire appliance working, with the Deck monitor on, that gave a few smiles!.
The whole day was a great success according to the CFO, he even managed to get 2 applicants to be volunteer FF's, we need as many as we can get with people leaving this area in search of work.
Marvellous!. [Linked Image]

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 68
U
Member
Great to see your open day was a success!
I'm sure things will pan out fine, as your attitude is so positive amoung the restrictive, negative red tape these days.


All I Wanted Was A Cup Of Tea!!
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443
Likes: 3
Trumpy Offline OP
Member
Thanks a million John.
Anyone that knows me well enough knows that I hate petty rules and other crap like that.
I have a job to do and that is to promote Fire Safety, I don't need restrictive rubbish like this making my job harder.
Statements like "Oh but you can't do that like that!" just make me more determined to prove people wrong.
Fires don't observe petty rules, why should those that fight them?.

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