By Battalion Chief Christian Sliker and Captain Jonathan Evans
Summer has officially ended as kiddos from all over the county have flocked back to the hallways for the new school year. Any new school year brings exciting education, lots of socializing, and the best square pizza money can buy. But what about fire safety education? How can your organization engage, educate and even recruit future firefighters within your very own jurisdiction? Here we’ll help guide your organization back into the schools while providing useful tips for maximizing your impact and earning your department an A+ this school year.
Don’t miss the bus on scheduling
The hardest part of getting in the schools is scheduling. Today’s schools are extremely fluid, and kids’ schedules are continuously changing, so ironing down a solid date is key. The days of bringing everyone to the auditorium is getting harder to do and may not be the most effective way to get your information across.
Knowing your audience is the key to a good presentation, as is making sure that they understand the point that you’re trying to teach them. The best thing you can do is coordinate with the guidance counselors and other teachers at each school to get a better sense of what the kids should be learning so that you can tailor the appropriate curriculum for them.
Engaging the youngest members of the community
Typically, we don’t want to just show up with the big red truck and say, “Hey kids! Look at the big Truck” and let that be the end of the safety talk because that’s not really teaching anything significant. That being said, for the younger crowd, the big red truck can certainly be a great way to get their attention to further the conversation.
We want them to be comfortable with firefighters and understand what the truck does, but as you’re discussing what a fire truck does, make sure that you tell them what they should do in case of an emergency as well. It’s never too early to discuss an evacuation plan and what they should do if they find themselves around smoke. Relate it to the fire drills that they are used to doing at school so that they can better understand the concept. This is also a great time to show them your fire gear and have them learn about what each piece does to protect firefighters as you out it on to show them the transformation from everyday uniform to fully geared up firefighter. We want to build trust with the kids, and the more they know and understand what everything does, the easier it is to build that trust with them.
Elementary school: Pull, aim, squeeze and sweep
As kids get older and move through elementary school, they are able to handle more advanced concepts and can get more involved in safety training. A great training activity for kids in third grade or higher is to teach them about fire extinguishers and how to use them. They walk by them every day in the halls of their schools, in businesses and possibly even at home, but if would they know how to use them in an emergency? Given that most adults don’t know how to use an extinguisher, I would bet the answer is no.
There are many ways to do this safely with kids. You can practice proper technique with a water extinguisher, focusing the stream at a target like a cone or something else representing a fire. Or look at getting a grant or purchasing an electronic fire extinguisher trainer that will allow you to safely teach multiple people at a time. Although they may never have a need to use one in the real world, they will at least be prepared for such an emergency and will more than likely go home and teach their parents as well.
Middle school: Compression CPR
As we enter the wonderful world of middle school, you may wonder, what could we possibly teach a kid who thinks they know everything? A great skill that kids this age can learn is compression CPR. After all, they might be the closest person to act in the event of a medical emergency involving a sibling, an elderly grandparent or even a friend.
If we empower this age group with these skills, the chances of them jumping in and helping rise, and they will be more likely and willing to help because they have been taught what to do. This is also a great way to bridge that gap from elementary school to high school so that you will have a better chance of recruiting later. The more interaction you have with these kids, the better your chances of getting them hooked to join this noble profession later.
High school: Looking to the future … firefighters
You’ve put the work in for 8 years, so now it’s time to reap the benefits! Talk with the career counselors in your area high school(s), go to the career days, and get involved with the schools to find the kids that may be interested in a career. Once you know who these kids are, you can develop a Junior Firefighter or Explorer Program to get them involved. This can be anything from a summer camp program to a full-blown year-round program depending on your resources, but the most important thing is to get them to do hands-on activities. Put them on the fire trucks with crews, bring them out for training, and get them involved with community activities. The more involved they are, the more they will buy into the culture and be ready to join the ranks once they graduate. Plus, you get to see if they would be a good fit for your department as they work alongside the crews, so you’re not just taking a blind chance on someone who says they want to be a firefighter. If done properly, these programs can be a great way to find good local firefighters that are more likely to stay in the fire service and with your department.
Never be afraid to learn
No matter how you tailor your school programs, always be willing to pivot to something new. Kids are smarter than you may think, and they can absorb a lot of information. Even in the age of technology where everyone wants to be a social media influencer, you can still find some amazing young men and women who want to do the best job in the world, but you must be willing to put in the schoolwork yourself.
Class dismissed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christian Sliker, MPIO, FM, began his career with the City of Myrtle Beach (S.C.) Fire Department in 2005 and currently holds the rank of deputy fire marshal/captain. In August 2017, Captain Sliker completed FEMA’s Master Public Information Officer program, with his capstone project focused on messaging solutions for tourist-driven areas. During Captain Sliker’s time as public educator, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department won the Richard S. Campbell Award for Excellence in Public Education 8 years in a row.
Captain Jonathan Evans is a 17-year veteran of the Myrtle Beach Fire Department, currently working as a deputy fire marshal in charge of community outreach. Captain Evans started his career with MBFD in 2007. Evans has an associate in business with an emphasis on fire administration. Over the past 7 years, Evans has worked to create and improve community outreach programs and represents the department during speaking engagements, neighborhood watch meetings, and recruitment events. Evans is also a member of the MBFD Honor Guard and the Incident Management Team.
