Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) has joined forces with Guide Dogs NSW/ACT to deliver a specialised fire safety education program for children with low vision or blindness.
FRNSW Commissioner Paul Baxter said the practical program saw firefighters simulate a blaze in a safe and controlled environment, to allow the children to feel the heat emitted and understand that they must always move away from it to avoid danger.
“The kids were also shown how to develop an escape plan and learnt what a firefighter uniform feels like to help develop their trust,” Commissioner Baxter said.
“We want these young people to have confidence in our firefighters and know they can call upon them for help in times of emergency,” he said.
“They then rehearsed the ‘get down low and go, go, go’ method of evacuating to the nearest exit during a fire and the ‘stop, cover and roll’ approach to extinguishing flames on their clothing or in their hair.”
Welcoming the program, Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience, Steph Cooke said it included practical demonstrations and workshops for children, conducted by firefighters at the Emergency Services Academy in Orchard Hills in Sydney’s west.
“The first group of primary school-aged kids to take part learnt about fire safety, including how to call Triple Zero (000) and what steps to take if a blaze breaks out,” Ms Cooke said.
“It’s wonderful to see this hands-on approach to fire safety, giving our community’s youngest and most vulnerable life-saving skills,” she said.
“We need to find ways to teach everyone about fire safety and I’d like to thank our firefighters for the incredible work they’re doing making sure children with a disability don’t miss out.”
Orientation and Mobility Expert at Guide Dogs NSW/ACT, Karen Carrigan said fire safety education was crucial for everyone but presented unique challenges for people with low vision or blindness.
“They may not be able to see the visual cues of fire and smoke to gain an understanding of the scale and urgency of an emergency,” Ms Carrigan said.
“Programs like this help build confidence and knowledge, give kids a chance to learn with their peers and set them up to lead a life without limits.”
