Question:
In fire prevention and safety programmes, at what age is the programme in your city designed to start for? Does this include a visit to day care centres? If Yes, how does it work? If no, why? What would you consider a "good age" to start educating kids about fire prevention and safety?

Answer: In an article in our local comunity paper, one of the captains had gone to council to note that there was a lack of resources for his public education programme. Now he might of erred as this should be taken up by the department not the council, as the fire chief decides the allocation of the fire department's budget. But having not met him, he seems to be a person who follows procedure and may have taken this up with the fire chief who may have said "you could try council for additional funds". There's no indication if procedure was followed. Needless to say two members of our local council didn't like the idea of him being there to present his case for additional money for a public awareness programme. Both heavily criticized him for doing that, and one was taken abac when the fire captain wanted to start the programme by visits to day care centres. one comment from one of our councillers (aldermen) who I have never voted for as I disagree on her politicial views had me thinking: "To tell you the truth I am very much opposed to fire fighters going into daycares" said Redman. "I think at that age they're a little too young for this stuff. They shouldn't be going in and scaring the children this way. may when they're a little older it's a litle more appropiate, but not that young". I'm a bit intrigued by that statement since daycare extends to age 4 and 5 up to the point where the kids then go to kindergarten. Needless to say there was no day care in my small town in 1964. The Burnaby Fire Captain has taken the stance that "a fire prevented is money and lived saved". He says" What council may or may not understand is that the kids are really the best safety advertising tool we have at our dis posal. It's the kids that go home and bug their parents about smoke detectors and escape plans. Essentially the kids are saving their parent's lives because its the adults that die in these fires when they make mistakes." That got me thinking there's alot of "Sparky the Fire Dog" type of education programmes for the kids and there's the lucky class that gets to go on a field trip to the fire hall, but now I wonder when do these invaluable programmes start? Being from a small town where there was only one fire hall, we did have a visit from the fire chief, but that was in grade 4. I would like to write an letter to the editor in support of the fire captain's public awareness programme on fire safety and prevention, but need some factual background to use.