Fire & Life Safety Education

CONTENTS
Community CPR/First Aid Training
Fire and Life Safety House
Firehall Tours
Fire Safety & Extinguisher Training
Youth Outreach Academy

Pre-school or Kindercare Kit for Fire Safety Training

Early primary students can be taught fire safety by their teachers through the Pre-school or Kindercare kit. This kit is available from Firehall #1 by calling 604-665-6011 or 604-654-0620 and requesting a booking.

Juvenile Firesetting

What Can You Do?

The most effective intervention for curious children is proper adult supervision and fire safety education.

• Keep matches and lighters out of a child's sight and reach. Even toddlers can use a lighter and kitchen matches to start a fire.
• Teach preschool children to TELL and adult if they find matches or lighters.
• Teach school age children to GIVE matches and lighters to an adult. Praise your child whenever he or she does this.
• Teach your child how to SAY NO when friends suggest playing with fire.
• Teach children that fire is a tool, not a toy. Talk about ways adults use different tools (cooking tools, repair and building tools, hobby tools).
• Explain how adults use matches to light candles, start a campfire or light a barbecue.

Teach your school age child the safe use of fire. Provide opportunities for your child to light matches under adult supervision, such as lighting the candles on a birthday cake.

What Do You Do If Your Child Sets A Fire?

Find your child playing with matches or a lighter? As a parent or caregiver of young children, take any firesetting seriously.

• Immediately report all fires to the Fire Department by calling 9-1-1.
• If your child set a fire, use an immediate consequence, such as taking away a privilege or using time-out.
• Depending on your child's age talk (don't lecture or scold) about the dangers of fire.

How Do You Get Help?

Contact your VFRS Public Education Office at 604-665-6070.

• We have specially trained personnel to provide the proper course of action needed to help children who are curious about fire.
• We conduct an evaluation to determine whether the child just needs additional fire safety education or if they need professional counseling.

How Can The Community Help?

• Ask retailers to display lighters out of reach of children.
• Purchase childproof lighters.

School Officials/Teachers!

If you know or have a student that has started a fire or has a firesetting problem, please notify the parents or guardians of that child or call your VFRS Public Education Office

The child who sets fires may be your child, the child next door or the child down the block

Fire Safety is Everyone's Responsibility