Children fire safety

Tools to help teach fire safety to children

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  Master of Disaster classroom program

  Master of Disaster is a free classroom program, designed and distributed by PreparedBC, to help young people learn about emergency preparedness. The program teaches youth in grades 4 to 8 about hazards in BC—like floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and tsunamis—and shows them how to get prepared, both personally and at home.

  Classroom kit

  Each classroom kit comes pre-packaged with printed resources, small gifts for each student and helpful instructions. 

  It includes three lessons of 45-60 minutes with minimal preparation required. 

  Each student will receive a:

  • Colourful get ready guide for classroom instruction and activities
  • Fill-in-the-blanks home emergency plan to take home and complete with their household
  • Drawstring bag to help kick-start their personal preparedness

  You’ll also receive a:

  • Teaching guide to explain curricular alignment and help you plan your lessons
  • Grab-and-go bag poster game to create some fun and to decorate your classroom

  Master of Disaster aligns with the BC curriculum for grades 4-8 for physical and health education but can also be adapted for other grades and audiences. 

  To request a kit through Vancouver Fire Rescue Services, email [email protected]. 

  Learn about the PreparedBC Public Education Programs External website, opens in new tab

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  How to teach children about fire safety

  Teach children the following points so they realize that fire is a tool, not a toy. Praise them when they follow through on any of these points:

  • Keep matches and lighters out of a child's sight and reach. Even toddlers have been able to start a fire using matches or a lighter
  • Teach preschool children to tell an adult if they find matches or lighters
  • Teach school-age children to give matches and lighters to an adult
  • Teach your child to say "No" when friends suggest playing with fire
  • Explain how adults use matches to light candles, start a campfire or light a barbecue
  • Teach school age children how to use fire safely. Provide opportunities for children to light matches under adult supervision, such as lighting the candles on a birthday cake

  Fire setting is serious

  Take any fire related activity seriously.

  • Immediately report all fires to the Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services by calling 9-1-1
  • If your child sets a fire, use an immediate consequence, such as taking away a privilege or using time-outs
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  Borrow the Pre-school or KinderCare Kit

  Pre-school or primary school teachers can teach the benefits of fire safety with the Pre-school or KinderCare Kit.

  What the kit includes

  This kit contains several:

  • Props
  • Materials
  • Activities for use in a classroom setting

  Alert icon A Fire and Rescue Service trainer does not have to be available with this training.

  How to reserve the kit

  To reserve the Pre-school or KinderCare Kit, contact us.

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  Book a firehall tour

  We offer tours for children at firehalls across the city. These visits are a great opportunity for school and community groups to learn about fire safety and meet their local firefighters.

  Find your local firehall's address and phone number on the map. 

  Map of firehall locations

  How to arrange a visit

  To arrange a visit for your community or school group:

  • Contact the firehall at least 4 weeks in advance
  • Refer to the 2025 shift calendar PDF file (416 KB) to find out which shift will be on duty the day of your requested tour. Phone the hall on a day when that same shift is working.
  • Speak with the captain on duty

  The captain on duty may refer frequent visitors to the Public Education Division to make special arrangements.

  Know before you go

  • One adult must supervise every five children. The group leader counts as 1 supervisor
  • We don't hold birthday parties at firehalls. You may arrange a firehall tour as one of the activities before or after a party you're hosting elsewhere.
  • Tours are subject to availability and may be interrupted by alarms. If an alarm interrupts a tour, visitors must immediately leave the building. Visitors may wait outside the firehall for the trucks to return. In most cases, you will need to book a tour for a later date.
  • At the firehall, your group will be given activities to work through at home.
  • For a list of fire safety skills we teach, review the fire safety course information