VIDEO: Local firefighters are making the rounds at area schools, teaching students of all ages crucial fire safety lessons through age-appropriate curriculum.
Battlefield Fire Captain Brian Rush said the department visits all schools in its fire protection district, including public schools and private institutions in Springfield. The program uses a structured educational approach that ensures every child receives consistent safety training as they advance through different grade levels.
For the youngest students, firefighters focus on building trust and familiarity. โFor kindergarteners, firefighters will start with simple concepts, letting them know firefighters are their friends,โ Rush explained. โA firefighter will put on their gear, crawl around, and reach out to shake their hands so the kids wonโt be afraid.โ
As students get older, the curriculum becomes more detailed and practical. Rush said older students learn about everyday fire hazards and prevention strategies.
โWe go through things like cooking, safe stove top, safe microwave use,โ Rush said. โWe work on doing a fire escape plan. We also do smoke alarms so that the kids know what that sounds like and what to do when that happens.โ
The department emphasizes one critical message across all age groups: the importance of having a proper fire escape plan. Rush stressed that families should identify multiple exit routes and establish a designated meeting location.
โEvery door is a way out of the house and every window is a way out of the house,โ Rush said. โAnd we teach them how to properly use those windows, whether it be on the second or third story. And to have an escape plan that when they get to the location theyโre supposed to be, everyone has the same location.โ
The school visits consistently generate positive responses from students and educators alike. Rush said the interactive nature of the program helps children retain important safety information.
โThe firefighters really enjoy going to the schools and having the interaction with the children,โ Rush said. โThe children just seem to gravitate towards us and really like it. They have a lot of positive questions, and they seem to get a lot of good knowledge.โ
That knowledge, Rush noted, helps keep both students and their families safe at home. The Battlefield Fire Protection has several fire safety videos here, as well as information on escape plans, using 911 and other information here.
