Fire Safety School Obstacle Course

Kindergarten thru Third Grade

FIRE SAFETY SCHOOL OBSTACLE COURSE

LEARN NOT TO BURN

Similar to the display at the Festival at the Lake Oakland Fire Department personnel and volunteers set up an obstacle course, either on the school playground, or in bad weather, we can use an auditorium or multi-purpose room.  The purpose of this little course is to introduce youngsters, in the primary grades, to some basic personal fire safety:

              Smoke Detectors, Sound and Function

              Crawl Low In Smoke

              Secondary Escape Routes

              911

              Stop Drop And Roll

              Cool a Burn with Water

              What a Firefighter Wear In A Fire

              Fire Engines and Their Equipment

(1) We build a "smoke tunnel" out of saw horses, a salvage cover, and black nylon netting piled on top which, with a little imagination, looks like smoke.  A fire fighter at the tunnel entrance explains that smoke is poison; toxic fumes and poisonous gases are mixed in the smoke.  Smoke rises, so good air will be near the floor.  "If smoke goes up, which way should you go?"  "Down!" the children reply.  So we teach the children that they must CRAWL LOW IN SMOKE and send them through the tunnel on a signal from the smoke detector.

(2) At the other end of the tunnel we place a portable window frame with window bars and two types of releases.  The children, with the assistance of a firefighter, release the bars and climb out through the window.  Children are asked if they have bars on their windows at home.  If they reply affirmatively we give them an information flyer to take home about an Oakland program of loans and grants to have immoveable window bars over the windows in sleeping areas retrofitted with releases.

(3) Another firefighter is stationed on the other side of the windows with a telephone.  The children are asked "What number do you dial in an emergency?" Most children can answer 911 but we make them actually punch out the number and role play an emergency call.  They are then given 911 stickers for their home phone.  We emphasize that they do not need to know their address or phone number.  They do not need to speak English.  They do not need to speak at all!  To get help in a life threatening situation all they need to know how to do is dial 911 and scream or cry.

(4) They are then directed to exercise mats where firefighters teach them to STOP DROP AND ROLL if they get fire on their clothes.  They are taught that they must cover their eyes nose and mouth; "Because you are not a dragon. You can not breathe fire."  They are each given a bright folding card, in signal light colors, that spells out STOP DROP ROLL upon successful completion.

(5) After they get up from the mat there is a firefighter in full turn outs and a firefighter who describes what firefighters have to wear in a fire to protect themselves from burns. They sometimes asks a teacher to try on turn outs available for the purpose. This familiarizes children with the frightening aspect of a firefighter.  Having a familiar person try on the equipment reassures the children that there is a person inside the suit not a monster. Someone has come to help them not “get them”. 

(6) The firefighters then ask, "If you get a burn what is the very first thing you put on it?" When they reply or are coached (“It’s hot what could cool it off?”) to answer "Cool Water" they are given a sticker in the shape of a water drop.

After they have collected two stickers and a card indicating that they have completed the "course", they may go up to the fire engine, get a tour of the engine and its equipment, and collect their "prizes", a red plastic fire helmet and a stick on gold foil badge. 

Teachers are given a packet of materials, typically a coloring book or sheet, a punch-out or some activity sheets which, in accordance with California state education guidelines, re-enforce the lessons learned with in class activities.

The Fire Department’s goal is to make this as exciting a hands-on an experience, and as memorable as possible, since their lives may depend on their remembering what we have taught them.