A FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR THE WHITE LAKE FIRE AUTHORITY

LEADING COMMUNITY RISK REDUCTION

BY: Chief Robert Phillips White Lake Fire Authority Whitehall, Michigan

An applied research project submitted to the National Fire Academy as part of the Executive Fire Officer Program

September 2004

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CERTIFICATION STATEMENT I hereby certify that this paper constitutes my own product, that where the language of others is set forth, quotation marks so indicate, and that appropriate credit is given where I have used the language, ideas, expressions, or writings of another. Signed: _________________________________________

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ABSTRACT

This research project analyzed the types of fire prevention programs that existed

within the United States specifically targeted to children under the age of five, the

challenges associated with teaching children of that age and the type of information that

needed to be included in a fire prevention program for children under the age of five. It

was noted that the White Lake Fire Authority had seen an increase in the number of fire

related calls and injuries to children under the age of five. The problem was the White

Lake Fire Authority was lacking a fire prevention program tailored to the age group of

five and under. The purpose of this applied research project was to design and implement

a fire prevention program that could be delivered to children under the age of five that

reside within the White Lake area.

This research project employed action research. The following research questions

were asked; (1) what types of fire prevention programs are currently being utilized across

the country that target children under the age of five? (2) What fire prevention

information is the White Lake Fire Authority currently delivering to children under the

age of five? (3) What information needs to be included in developing a fire prevention

program for children under the age of five? The principal procedures employed were a

literature review of fire service journals, magazines and textbooks. The literature was

obtained from the National Fire Academy’s Learning Resource Center (LRC),

Emmitsburg, Maryland. Additional literature reviews were conducted at the White Lake

Community Library in Whitehall, Michigan, the Muskegon County Community College

Library, Muskegon, Michigan and the author’s private library.

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This project resulted in the creation of a proposed standardized fire prevention

program that would ensure all children would receive the same information regardless of

presenter.

The recommendations resulting from this research included the implementation of

a fire prevention program as shown in Appendix C.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT.............................................................................................................. 3

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................ 5

INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................... 6

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFIGANCE.............................................................. 7

LETERATURE REVIEW ...................................................................................... 8

PROCEDURES........................................................................................................ 15

RESULTS ................................................................................................................. 17

DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................... 21

RECOMMENDATIONS......................................................................................... 24

REFERENCES......................................................................................................... 26

APPENDIX A........................................................................................................... 28

APPENDIX B ........................................................................................................... 33

APPENDIX C........................................................................................................... 36

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INTRODUCTION

How often have you read in a news story that said firefighters entering a burned-

out home had found the bodies of pre-school age kids in the closets or under the beds?

How many times have you heard of youngsters starting fires, then running to hide? Many

of the preschoolers who died in the United States between 1989 and 1993 responded

inappropriately to the fire, making a bad situation worse. (Dietsch, 1997)

Does this mean that there’s nothing we can do to lower the number of

preschoolers who die in fires? If they’re too young to act appropriately, are they too

young to learn the correct behaviors? Absolutely not. (Dietsch, 1997)

The problem is the White Lake Fire Authority is lacking a fire prevention

program tailored to the age group of five and under. By not having a program in place

the Authority has seen an increase in the number of fire calls and injuries to this age

group.

The purpose of this Applied Research Project is to design and implement a fire

prevention program that will be delivered to children under the age of five that reside

within the White Lake area. Action research methods were utilized to answer the

following questions:

1. What types of fire prevention programs are currently being utilized

throughout the country that target children under the age of five?

2. What fire prevention information is the White Lake Fire Authority

currently delivering to children under the age of five?

3. What information needs to be included in developing a fire prevention

program for children under five?

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BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFIGANCE

The White Lake Fire Authority is a combination department consisting of two

full-time chief officers, twenty-seven paid-on-call firefighters and one full-time civilian

administrative assistant. The community is experiencing significant growth thus rapidly

increasing the department’s call volume. Within the past several years two new schools

have been constructed one of which serves kindergarten through second grade. In

addition, several new day care centers and pre-schools have opened.

Each fall, the department conducts fire prevention tours in conjunction with

National Fire Prevention Week. The past few years fire prevention week has turned into

fire prevention month due to the overwhelming demand from schools, pre-schools, day

care centers, and libraries all requesting visits and information on fire prevention.

While working on this research project the White Lake Fire Authority responded

to a structure fire with burn injuries. It was determined that a three-year-old girl who was

playing with matches in her bedroom lit her play tent on fire. The adult male in the house

tried to extinguish the fire but not before he suffered major burns to his hands and chest

area. In addition, the structure suffered some damage. When questioned, the young girl

had no prior knowledge or exposure to any type of fire prevention information.

In 2003, a change was made to the command structure; a Lieutenant was assigned

the duties of fire prevention. His first order of business was to review the current

presentations and recommend improvements. Through his informal research he found

that each person was delivering a different program to the children. The command staff

and Authority Board of Directors agreed that a new fire prevention program must be

developed that would deliver the same message regardless of presenter.

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This report is linked to the Leading Community Risk Reduction Course Unit 4,

“Intervention Strategies.” This unit emphasizes that departments must identify weak

areas and then develops a strategy to address those weaknesses and turn them into

strengths utilizing the five E’s of fire prevention (engineering, education, enforcement,

emergency response, economic incentive). By designing and implementing a fire

prevention program the White Lake Fire Authority will have addressed a major weakness

and transformed it into a strength.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Brian stands in front of his classmates at the daycare center. A strip of red felt in

the shape of a flame is fastened to his shirt pocket. “OK Brian, let’s see what you do if

your clothes catch on fire”, his teacher says. Quickly, Brian drops to the floor, rolls over

and smiles as the red flame falls from his shirt. “Remember,” the teacher says as she

turns to the class, “A burn is worse than the sting of 1,000 bees.” This scene is being

repeated across the State of Oklahoma as teachers, day care center leaders, firefighters

and other adults are teaching young children about fire safety. But, what’s unusual about

this scene is that the children learning fire safety are pre-school age. Some, in fact, are as

young as three years old. (Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, 1979)

In 1988, the Maryland Community Association for the Education of Young

Children developed “Fire Safety for Young Children, A Guide for Firefighters.” The

primary goals of this curriculum are to familiarize children with fire and burn prevention

and survival techniques; to assure children that firefighters serve a positive role and that

their equipment is purposeful; and to include families as part of each child’s fire and burn

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prevention and survival awareness. (Maryland Community Association for the Education

of Young Children, MCAEYC, 1988)

During the summer of 1999, Lieutenant Mike Weller of the Hagerstown, MD fire

department was asked by the Washington County Board of Education to review and

evaluate the life safety components of the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School

Health Education. The purpose of the evaluation was to identify components of the

curriculum that would serve as effective pre and post extension lessons to Children’s

Safety Village. “Overall, the life safety components included in the Michigan Model are

excellent. Particularly those associated with traffic, pedestrian and recreational safety.

The only area that I believed needed enhancement was fire safety.” (Weller, 1999) As a

result, Lt. Weller developed a program titled “Seven Critical Lessons on Fire Safety.”

“This booklet includes what I believe to be the seven most important fire safety concepts

that should be mastered by students by the time they reach grade two. The lesson plans

have been developed so the material can be presented at the pre-k through grade one

level.” (Weller, 1999)

The Gainesville, TX fire department developed a fire prevention program in 1986

targeting children under the age of five. “We began by simply going out to our

elementary schools and just talking with the kids about the various dangers associated

with being careless with fire. We also started teaching them what to do in the event of a

fire such as crawling low in smoke, feeling the door for heat and such. Since that time

we have began using puppets to help us deliver the message in a more fashionable way.

This has been a huge success especially with the younger kids, pre-school age through

first grade.” (Murphree, 2004)

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Fireproof Children with the BIC Corporation and others, assisted in the

development of a preschool program called Play safe! Be safe! The program focuses on

actions in two areas; keeping children safe in a fire (go to the firefighter; crawl low under

smoke; stop, drop, and roll) and preventing fire play by substituting an action that is

incompatible with play (go tell a grown-up). (Cole, Crandall, and Kourofsky, 2004)

To help protect young children from the devastating effects of fire, the United

States Fire Administration (USFA), a division of the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA), has begun a national public safety campaign. USFA is working with

the American Academy of Pediatrics, NFPA, National Safe Kids Campaign and ZERO

TO THREE to deliver this important message for children under age 5: 1. PREPARE-

make your home safer from fire. 2. PRACTICE fire safety-especially your home fire

escape plan. 3. PREVENT THE UNTHINKABLE. (FEMA, 2003)

The Michigan State Fire Marshal’s office in conjunction with the Michigan Public

Education Advisory Committee teamed up to develop a fire safety education program to

target all age groups. The Safe at Home, Fire Safety Education for Everyone program is

available for use to all fire departments throughout Michigan.

“Safe at Home is a prevention program that we believe will help reduce the

number of fire related losses in our state. These incidents cause hundreds of injuries and

deaths each year, and cost our state billions of dollars in property losses. Unfortunately,

most of these injuries, deaths and losses occur in the very place where we think we are

the safest – our own homes. Safe at Home targets home safety for all ages.” (Dougovito,

2002)

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In 1993, the Saint Paul Department of Fire and Safety Services developed a fire

prevention program titled Follow The Footsteps To Fire Safety, A Prevention Program

for Young Children. The purpose of Follow the Footsteps to Fire Safety is to present

ideas and activities that affect the fire knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of young

children. (Peterson and Bergeron, 1993) It contains lesson plans that sequentially teach

concepts about a variety of fire and burn topics that are important to this age group.

(Peterson and Bergeron, 1993)

When developing a fire prevention program for pre-school age children Dietsch

(1997) suggests that there are eight fire safety behaviors that any preschooler can learn:

1. Stay away from hot things that can burn.

2. Tell a grown-up when you find matches or lighters.

3. Stop, drop, and roll if your clothes catch fire.

4. Cool a burn with cool water.

5. Crawl low under smoke to get out.

6. Know the sound of a smoke detector or alarm.

7. Practice an escape plan.

8. Recognize firefighters as helpers.

FEMA (1979) states “Caregivers can begin teaching 3-5 year-old children about

fire. Simple songs, finger plays, picture books, flannel boards, role-play, and

dramatization can be used to teach and reinforce fire safety concepts. Children of this

age group should be introduced to the following fire safety concepts: (1) the dual nature

of fire, which can be friendly, but can also hurt; (2) the stop, drop, and roll technique to

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smother clothing fires; (3) matches aren’t for children and are not toys; (4) the image of

the firefighter as a friend and community helper; (5) simple fire escape procedures.” (p.9)

In Weller’s (1999) development of Seven Critical Lessons on Fire Safety he

suggests the following topics be discussed:

1. Staying away from things that become hot.

2. There are good fires and bad fires. Fire is a tool and not a toy.

3. If on fire, stop, drop, and roll.

4. Smoke alarms, important safety tools.

5. Crawl low under smoke.

6. Make a plan in case of fire.

7. Dial 911 for help in an emergency.

The topic of teaching how to dial 911 is one that not all agree on. In their

guidebook, the MCAEYC (1988) states, “After careful consideration, the authors have

chosen not to include a lesson on using the telephone to dial for help in an emergency.

Very young children need a clear, consistent message regarding emergency fire

procedures. The message should be simply, “Get out and stay out at your meeting place.”

If young children are also taught to use the telephone in a fire emergency, they may be

placed in an even more dangerous situation by stopping to phone for help before exiting

safely. In an equally dangerous scenario, a child might exit safely from a housefire (sic)

but then run to a neighbor’s to phone for help rather than waiting for family members at

the designated meeting place. An adult may reenter the burning building in search of a

child who is believed to be trapped by fire. The young child’s responsibility should be

simply to get out quickly in a fire emergency.” (p. 4)

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In Peterson and Bergeron’s (1993) Follow the Footsteps to Fire Safety, they list

the following nine areas they cover in their prevention program:

1. Good Fires/Bad Fires

2. Matches and Lighters

3. Fire Play

4. Smoke Detectors

5. Fire Escape

6. Burn Prevention – Identifying Hot Items

7. Burn First Aid

8. Burn Prevention – Extinguishing Clothing Fires

9. Firefighters

Peterson and Bergeron (1988) state, “The purpose of Follow the Footsteps to Fire

Safety is to present ideas and activities that affect the fire knowledge, attitudes, and

behaviors of young children. It contains lesson plans that sequentially teach concepts

about a variety of fire and burn topics that are important to this age group.” (p.iv)

In 1979 the Children’s Television Workshop, the producer of the children’s

television show Sesame Street developed a fire prevention program for pre-school age

children. FEMA (1988) states, “The project is the first organized attempt to reach three-

to-five-year-old children who are the most frequent victims of fire. What’s significant

about the project is that it combines fire safety messages on a TV screen with face-to-face

teaching and demonstrations in order to present this difficult subject to preschoolers.

Teaching young children fire safety is a lot tougher than many people realize.

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Youngsters are just beginning to understand the concepts of hot and cold. Words like

prevention, scald, boiling and avoid are often beyond their comprehension.” (p.13)

To teach fire safety to children in Grand Traverse, Michigan an obstacle course

has been developed. Carroll (2004) states, “Getting out the fire safety message before the

fire happens is the key to success, especially with kids. To that end, the Grand Traverse

Fire Department has created an obstacle course designed to teach children a variety of

vital fire safety messages.” (p. 37)

Summary

The literature review was beneficial in several aspects. First, the literature review

provided qualitative and quantitative background information on fire prevention

programs for children under the age of five in use throughout the country. The material

offered examples of numerous appraisal systems in use by fire service organizations and

private sector organizations. The action lists were useful in developing the research

recommendations.

Throughout the research process no legal mandates could be found mandating fire

prevention programs to children under the age of five. However, the research made it

very clear that if a program is developed it should be evaluated by educational

professionals and fire service professionals trained in public education prior to being

distributed for use in the field.

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PROCEDURES

Research Methodology

An action research methodology process was used to conduct research utilizing

sources from both the fire service and the private sector in order to answer the research

questions and develop a fire prevention program for children under the age of five to be

used by White Lake Fire Authority personnel. Research collection began at the National

Fire Academy Learning Resource Center (LRC) in March 2004. The LRC on-line

catalog was used to search for trade articles, magazine articles and publications with the

key words fire prevention programs, pre-school fire prevention programs, children fire

prevention programs, fire safety programs and children fire safety programs. Upon

returning from the National Fire Academy, a search was conducted at the White Lake

Community Library located in Whitehall, Michigan using the above-mentioned keywords

along with a search of the author’s private library in April and May 2004. Information

gathered was grouped to address the questions posed in the project. In addition, a request

for information regarding the subject was made to a local pre-school teacher whom

supplied relevant information on the topic. A request was made at the April 2004

Muskegon Area Fire Chief’s Association meeting for any department that had a

prevention program in place to please contact the author. Muskegon County currently

has 15 fire departments. Out of the 14 departments contacted zero departments

responded to the request. At the May 2004 West Michigan Fire Chief’s Association

meeting a request was made for departments with a fire prevention program in place to

please contact the author. There are currently 83 departments active in the Association.

Out of the 83 departments contacted 1 department supplied their fire prevention program

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tailored for pre-school age children. Although the response level was much less than

anticipated, the information received provided valuable insight as to how that department

presented fire prevention information to young children. It was noted by that department

that the program was undergoing evaluation by State of Michigan professionals and local

educators. It was their hope to have the program ready for presentation at the start of the

2004-2005 school year. In addition, fire prevention program information was requested

from the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Municipal Risk Management

Authority. Both agencies responded that they had no such information on file but would

welcome the results of this project. A copy of the letters is included in Appendix A.

An in-house survey was conducted in August 2004 of all personnel employed by

the White Lake Fire Authority. The purpose of this survey was to 1. determine the

number of employees that were involved in presenting fire prevention information to

children under the age of five during the year 2003; 2. determine what information they

presented during their visits; 3. how much time was spent on each presentation; 4. what

information they thought would be relevant to include in a new program. Of the 25

surveys sent 18 (72%) were answered and 9 were not. A copy of the survey is included

in Appendix B.

Limitations on this research project included the requirement to complete the

project within the six-month time frame allowed by the project guidelines. Had more

time been available, the final project would have been subject to an evaluation process

made up of professional educators and fire service public educators. Also, the literature

review focused only on those programs that have received national recognition. It was

determined that thousands of programs exist throughout the country, however, only a

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small number have actually been subjected to evaluation. Time and cost constraints

prohibited the selection of a larger sample group.

RESULTS

Research Question #1. What types of fire prevention programs are currently

being utilized across the country that target children under the age of five? The research

showed that there are countless fire prevention programs in place throughout the country

that target children under the age of five. The Hagerstown, Maryland Fire Department is

using the Seven Critical Lessons on Fire Safety. The Saint Paul Fire Department has

developed the program Follow the Footsteps to Fire Safety. The research also showed

that the federal government has developed numerous fire prevention programs that target

children under the age of five. Although this research paper did not discuss it, several

national associations have developed injury prevention programs that target young

children one being NFPA’s Risk Watch program.

As previously stated, there are thousands of fire prevention programs that

departments are using throughout the country, however, this project only focused on

those programs that met the qualifications by being developed, presented and evaluated.

Research Question #2 What fire prevention information is the White Lake Fire

Authority currently delivering to children under the age of five? The results from the in-

house survey showed that various fire prevention information is being delivered to

children within the White Lake area. It also showed that the amount of time being

dedicated to delivering the fire prevention message varied depending on the presenter.

Survey question #1 asked if the employee was involved in any fire prevention

tours/presentations to pre-school and kindergarten age children during the year 2003.

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Nine (50%) responded that they had been involved in some sort of fire prevention

tour/presentation during the year 2003. Nine (50%) employees responded that they had

no involvement in any sort of fire prevention tour/presentation during the year 2003.

Survey question #2 asked if the employee answered yes to question #1,

approximately how many presentations/tours they were involved with. One (11%)

employee participated in one presentation, one (11%) employee participated in two

presentations, two (22%) employees participated in three presentations, one (11%)

employee participated in four presentations, three (33%) employees participated in five

presentations, and one (11%) employee participated in six presentations.

The third survey question asked what information did the employee present

and/or demonstrate. The following list was generated:

• Smoke Detectors

• Equipment that firefighters use

• Apparatus

• Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

• Turn-Out Gear

• 9-1-1

• Not to be afraid of a firefighter in turn-out gear

• Stop, Drop, and Roll

• Don’t play with matches or lighters

• Get out and stay out, never go back inside

• Stay low in smoke

• Let children try on and touch the turn-out gear

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• Dress up teacher in turn-out gear so that the children see someone they know

and will be less likely to be afraid

• Let children spray water from the fire truck

• Have children watch a firefighter climb the ladder on the ladder truck

• Explain the different types of fire trucks and what their purpose is

• Have children show each other how to stop, drop, cover their face and roll

• Show children the Automatic External Defibrillator (A.E.D.)

Survey question #4 asked the employee that had participated in a fire prevention

presentation/tour approximately how much time each presentation lasted. One (11%)

firefighter stated that his/her presentation lasted approximately five minutes. Three

(33%) firefighters’ spent approximately ten minutes delivering their prevention/tour.

One (11%) firefighter spent approximately fifteen minutes with the children. Two (22%)

firefighters’ spent twenty minutes delivering their fire prevention message; and two

(22%) firefighters’ spent thirty minutes on their program.

The final survey question asked that regardless of their involvement in 2003, what

information did they feel should be presented to children under the age of five. The

following list of responses were given:

• Importance of fire safety

• Not to be afraid of firefighter’s

• Knowledge of their address

• Stop, Drop, and Roll

• Let children see what a firefighter looks like in full turn-out gear

• Teach them not to play with fire

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• Who to call for help

• Where to call for help

• We are their friends and are there to help them

• Don’t hide under beds or in closets

• How to dial 9-1-1

• Stay low to the floor

• Feel the door with the back of their hands

• Have a pre-determined meeting place

• Don’t go back inside for pets or toys

• Fire Escape Planning

• Should get information to parents so they can practice throughout the year

• Exit Drills in the Home (E.D.I.T.H.)

• Make lots of noise if you hear a firefighter in the house or outside the

house

• Show them the fire trucks

• Explain to the children each piece of turn-out gear and its function

• Discuss the other jobs that we do other than just fire

The survey made it very clear that the White Lake Fire Authority was in need of a

fire prevention program that would deliver the same information within the same time

frame regardless of presenter.

Research Question #3 What information needs to be included when developing a

fire prevention program for children under that age of five? The research showed that

although there are numerous programs in place almost all are delivering the same

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information; how to dial 9-1-1; firefighter’s are their friends; crawl low under smoke;

Stop, Drop, and Roll; smoke detectors; making a plan in case of fire; difference between

good fires and bad fires; firefighter gear and equipment; and don’t play with matches and

lighters.

DISCUSSION

FEMA (1979) states, “Fire education has long been aimed at elementary school

students in the fifth grade and up. It has been shown, however, that basic fire education

can be taught to children in the three-to eight age group. The basic principles behind

teaching these young children fire prevention is that it must be kept short, it must be

made fun, and you must get the children involved.” (p. I)

The BIC Corporation’s fire prevention program for young children, play safe, be

safe has been developed specifically for children under the age of five. Cole, Crandall,

and Kourofsky (2004) state “the program focuses on actions in two areas: keeping

children safe in a fire and preventing fire play by substituting an action that is

incompatible with play.” (p.15)

The play safe, be safe program’s lesson content covers four areas (Cole, Crandall,

and Kourofsky, (2004):

• My Friend the Firefighter with the objective of teaching children to go

to the firefighter in an emergency

• Crawl low under smoke with the objective of teaching the safest

method for getting out of a room filling with smoke

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• Stop, Drop, and Roll with the objective of teaching the safest way for

children to act if their clothes catch fire.

• Go Tell a Grown-up with the objective of teaching children that

matches and lighters are tools for adults only.

Peterson and Bergeron (1993) state, “the goal of the Follow the Footsteps to Fire

Safety is to prevent fire play and to develop appropriate reactions to fires and burns. The

program hopes to develop skills in children that enable them to prevent and protect

themselves from these problems.” (p. iv)

In the fire prevention program Fire Safety for Young Children, MCAEYC (1988)

states “The primary goals of this curriculum are to familiarize children with fire and burn

prevention and survival techniques; to assure children that firefighters serve a positive

role and that their equipment is purposeful; and to include families as part of each child’s

fire and burn prevention and survival awareness.” (p.3)

When discussing the program that the Grand Traverse, MI Fire Department

developed Carroll (2004) states, “The first question I ask little children, four and five year

olds, is “Do you know what the word “prevent” means?” As you may well expect, most

shake their heads “No.” I then ask them if they know what shoes do and what my glasses

do. Again, you would think most cannot cognitively answer these questions except with

the occasional giggle. Or can they? Kids are pretty smart. They are aware what prevent

means in just a few moments. I tell them that shoes prevent my feet from getting hurt on

the gravel in the driveway. I tell them that my glasses prevent my nose from getting big

and fat from running into the wall. I have their attention and can give the little sponges

anything.” (p.13)

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Carroll (2004) also discusses the importance of when talking to young children

not to be afraid of also promoting fire safety messages that the parents will pick up on,

“In reality whenever someone with authority and a nice uniform speaks to children, they

have the most influential audience ever. Wherever children are, so are parents. And as

we speak to the kids, make the messages clear to them, the parents are listening. Slip in a

few realities, like death and how it happens in fire, and the parents are not only listening

but thinking also. So the messages we give to children are just as important as the ones

we give the adults and giving them fire sprinkler messages doesn’t seem all that

misplaced.” (p.13)

Carroll (2004) continues to say that the best tool to have in place when developing

a program is that of good communication, “As for tools, we have all we need, the most

important of which is good communication. I could write on and on about this subject

and not really say anything. Is that good communication? Not really. Has anyone ever

watched a firefighter explain friction loss, pump pressures, and flow rates to five year

olds? I have. They mean well but are not effective.” (p.13)

In conclusion, Cole, Crandall, and Kourofsky, (2004 best sum up the reason to

develop a fire prevention program tailored to young children under the age of five,

“between two-thirds and three-quarters of the children who participated in one

presentation of the play safe, be safe program learned each of the lesson objectives, while

virtually none of the children in the control group could answer the questions correctly or

perform these skills. Clearly, three-to five-year olds are capable of understanding these

lifesaving skills but will learn them only through a determined effort.” (p.18)

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RECOMMENDATIONS

The literature review and other information contained within this report show that

there are endless possibilities when developing a fire prevention program targeting

children under the age of five. However, as already stated, any fire prevention program

developed must be subject to evaluation.

In order for the White Lake Fire Authority to implement a fire prevention

program, there are several areas that must be addressed prior to implementation. First, all

personnel must receive the proper training on how the program works. The in-house

survey clearly showed that White Lake personnel were delivering no consistent fire

prevention message. By conducting training and explaining how the new program works,

all personnel should be able to deliver the same message each time the program is

presented. Second, it is imperative that each presenter provides feedback on how the

program is working and what areas need improvement. Only by monitoring the program

will the author know if the correct messages are being presented. Third, the author

should meet with local educators and explain how the new program will work and answer

any questions or concerns that they may have. It should be explained to the educators

that this new program is one that is designed to be used throughout the school year, and

that each visit will focus on a new subject. Finally, prior to the program being presented,

it must be subjected to a thorough evaluation process. Educational professionals and fire

service professionals should conduct this evaluation process with experience in

evaluating educational programs that target young children.

The author recommends that the White Lake Fire Authority implement the fire

prevention program shown in Appendix C.

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Those wishing to conduct future research on this subject matter should pay close

attention to the ever-changing educational methodologies and try to encompass the latest

recommendations in their work. Also anyone wishing to develop a program should

discuss with their local educators the amount of time that they are willing to commit to

the program and develop the program accordingly.

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REFERENCES

Carroll, J. (2004, July/August). Fire Prevention. MI Chiefs Fire Service News. 13 Carroll, J. (2004, April). Obstacle Course Teaches Fire Safety. Fire Engineering. 36-38 Cole, R., Crandall, R., and Kourofsky, C. (2004, March). We Can Teach Young Children Fire Safety. National Association for the Education of Young Children. 14-18 Dietsch, J.V. (1997, March/April). Preparing the Preschoolers. NFPA Journal. 112 Dougovito, M. (2001, October). Safe at Home, Fire Safety Education for Everyone. Michigan Public Fire Education Advisory Committee. 2-25 Federal Emergency Management Agency. (1979). Young Children, A New Target for Public Fire Education. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (1988). Organizing Your Community. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2003). FEMA Kicks Off Public Safety Campaign to Reduce Deaths of Toddlers. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Printing Office. Maryland Community Association for the Education of Young Children. (1988). Fire Safety for Young Children, A Guide for Firefighters. National Community Volunteer Fire Prevention Program Murphree, M. (personal communication, July 29, 2004)

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Peterson, P. and Bergeron, S. (1993). Follow the Footsteps to Fire Safety, A Prevention Program for Young Children. Saint Paul, MN. Saint Paul Department of Fire and Safety Services. Weller, M. (1999). Seven Critical Lessons of Fire Safety. Hagerstown, MD. Hagerstown Fire Department.

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APPENDIX A

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April 7, 2004 Muskegon Area Fire Chief’s Association 75 W. Walton Muskegon, MI 49445 To Whom It May Concern: I am currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. As part of the academic requirements, I am currently working on developing a fire prevention program that targets children under the age of five. I am asking that if you have a program in place that you please forward me a copy. Also, if the program has been evaluated would you please state the evaluation process that it was subjected to. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to help me complete this important project. Sincerely, Bob Phillips Fire Chief

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May 12, 2004 West Michigan Fire Chief’s Association 279 Kollen Park Drive Holland, MI 49423 To Whom It May Concern: I am currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. As part of the academic requirements, I am currently working on developing a fire prevention program that targets children under the age of five. I am asking that if you have a program in place that you please forward me a copy. Also, if the program has been evaluated would you please state the evaluation process that it was subjected to. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to help me complete this important project. Sincerely, Bob Phillips Fire Chief

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May 16, 2004 Michigan Municipal League 1675 Green Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 To Whom It May Concern: I am currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. As part of the academic requirements, I am currently working on developing a fire prevention program that targets children under the age of five. I am asking that if you have a program in place that you please forward me a copy. Also, if the program has been evaluated would you please state the evaluation process that it was subjected to. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to help me complete this important project. Sincerely, Bob Phillips Fire Chief

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May 16, 2004 Michigan Municipal Risk Management Authority 14001 Merriman Livonia, MI 48154 To Whom It May Concern: I am currently enrolled in the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program. As part of the academic requirements, I am currently working on developing a fire prevention program that targets children under the age of five. I am asking that if you have a program in place that you please forward me a copy. Also, if the program has been evaluated would you please state the evaluation process that it was subjected to. Thank-you in advance for taking the time to help me complete this important project. Sincerely, Bob Phillips Fire Chief

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APPENDIX B

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TO: ALL WLFA PERSONNEL FROM: CHIEF PHILLIPS RE: FIRE PREVENTION SURVEY DATE: AUGUST 2, 2004 Attached is a survey that I would appreciate you taking the time to fill out. The survey is in regards to your involvement in fire prevention presentations to pre-school age children last year. As part of the academic requirements for National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer Program I am required to write an Applied Research Project. I am currently in the process of developing a fire prevention program for children under the age of five. This program will be delivered as part of our public education. In order to effectively develop such a program I am asking for your help in answering the questions on the attached survey. Your help is greatly appreciated. Please return them to me no later than Friday August 13.

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WHITE LAKE FIRE AUTHORITY FIRE PREVENTION SURVEY

1. Were you involved in any fire prevention tours/presentations to pre-school age children last year?

_______ YES ________ NO 2. If you answered yes, approximately how many presentations were you involved

with? ___________________ 3. What information did you present and/or demonstrate?

4. Approximately how long did each presentation last?

___________________ 5. Regardless of your involvement last year, what information do you feel should be

presented to pre-school age children?

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APPENDIX C

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WHITE LAKE FIRE AUTHORITY

FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE

Developed By:

Bob Phillips Fire Chief

White Lake Fire Authority

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Greetings, During the summer of 2004, as part of the academic requirements of the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, I evaluated our current fire prevention program targeted to children under the age of five. Through the research, it was determined that our current program was lacking a consistent message. Also, the students were only being contacted once during the school year. It is the intention of this new program for the fire department to become more involved in teaching and presenting important fire safety information to children under the age of five within the White Lake area. This new program has been designed so that the children will not only see our personnel in the month of October but year-round. The program has been designed to start in October and finish in April, with one new subject being presented each month. The lesson plans have been developed so that they can be presented in approximately thirty minutes. By presenting this information, you will be empowering children with the knowledge they need to both prevent and respond to emergencies in progress. Please review this information prior to presenting it, and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thanks for your commitment to life safety education. Sincerely, Bob Phillips

Fire Chief

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LESSON 1 - Firefighters are Your Friends LESSON 2- Smoke Detectors LESSON 3- If On Fire-Stop, Drop, Cover Your Face, and Roll LESSON 4- Crawl Low Under Smoke LESSON 5- Make a Plan, In Case of Fire LESSON 6- Dial 911 for Help

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LESSON 1

Firefighters are Your Friend Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten

Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. EXPLAIN THE BASIC TURNOUT GEAR A FIREFIGHTER WEARS

2. STATE WHY NOT TO BE AFRAID OF A FIREFIGHTER

WHEN HE/SHE IS DRESSED IN FULL GEAR AND SCBA.

Time Frame: 20-30 Minutes Materials: Bunker Pants, Coat, Gloves, Helmet, Boots, Hood, SCBA, Face

Mask, Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response Background Information: Children should be educated so they can identify a firefighter

wearing full turn out gear and understand why the firefighter looks like a “space-man.”

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Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. Tell students the goal of the lesson will be to identify the

equipment that firefighters wear into burning buildings and explain why they should not be afraid. Reinforce responses.

2. Show students each piece of gear.

3. Allow the students to look at each piece of gear and encourage

them to try it on.

4. Explain to students what an SCBA is and why firefighters wear them; also explain what all of the flashing lights do and why it makes noise.

5. Allow the students to look at and touch the SCBA.

6. Have a teacher try on all of the gear and SCBA.

7. With each piece of gear put on, ask the students if the teacher is

prepared to enter a burning building. The response should be no until all gear is on.

8. Once the teacher is fully dressed in the turnout gear have the

students come forward and look at the teacher through the mask. Note, this will allow the children to see that although the teacher looks different, it is still him/her inside all of the gear.

9. Have the teacher remove all of the equipment and ensure the

students that there was nothing scary about being dressed up in the turn out gear.

10. Complete the lesson by summarizing the main topic.

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LESSON 2

Smoke Detectors Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. IDENTIFY THE SMOKE DETECTOR. 2. IDENTIFY THE SOUND A SMOKE DETECTOR MAKES

WHEN ACTIVATED.

3. KNOW THAT WHEN A SMOKE DETECTOR SOUNDS THEY NEED TO EXIT THE STRUCTURE.

Time Frame: 20-30 minutes Materials: Smoke Detector Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response. Background Information: Most home fires start as slow, smoldering fires. The early warning

of a smoke detector will alert family to a fire in progress. Children must understand the purpose of a smoke detector. Most importantly, they must understand what action is to be taken when smoke detectors sound.

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Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. Review concepts from the previous lesson that highlight what

firefighter’s look like entering a burning building.

2. Show students the smoke detector. Pass the detector around so that the students can touch and feel it.

3. Explain to students that smoke detectors are an important

safety tool that warns people when a fire is happening. Smoke detectors are always looking and smelling for smoke.

4. Demonstrate the sound of the smoke detector by pushing the

button. Explain that when a smoke detector is beeping it is telling us to leave the building immediately because there may be a fire.

5. Discuss where smoke detectors are found in homes. Encourage

students to look around the classroom for a smoke detector.

6. Encourage students to look for the smoke detectors in their homes and have them show their parents how to perform a test on the detector by pushing the test button.

7. Inform students that they will be learning how to leave a

burning building during future visits.

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LESSON 3

If On Fire Stop, Drop, Cover Your Face, and Roll Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. IDENTIFY SITUATIONS THAT MAY CAUSE CLOTHES TO CATCH ON FIRE.

2. EXPLAIN HOW TO EXTINGHUISH A FIRE ON

CLOTHING.

3. DEMONSTRATE STOP, DROP, COVER YOUR FACE, and ROLL.

Time Frame: 20-30 minutes Materials: Soft Surface Area Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response. Student demonstration of skill. Background Information: Children and adults may panic and run if clothing catches fire.

Young children often respond to a clothing fire by running to an adult for help. They may even try running to a bathtub or swimming pool for water. Because air feeds a fire, running increases the spread of flames and makes the situation worse.

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Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. Identify fire on clothing as a bad fire.

2. Ask students how clothing might catch on fire. Reinforce responses such as being too close to a stove, heater or campfire. Include playing with fire.

3. Reinforce the best way to stay safe is to avoid contact with

objects that get hot.

4. Explain to students the importance of knowing what to do if clothing catches fire. Introduce the concept of Stop, Drop, Cover Your Face, and Roll.

5. Demonstrate the skill for students. If the teacher is willing ask

him/her to also demonstrate the skill.

6. Have each student perform the skill. Ensure lots of positive feedback to the students.

7. Evaluate results of students performance and review if

necessary.

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LESSON 4

Crawl Low Under Smoke Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. EXPLAIN WHEN AND WHY A PERSON MUST CRAWL LOW UNDER SMOKE

2. DEMONSTRATE THE ABILITY TO CRAWWL LOW

UNDER SMOKE.

Time Frame: 20-30 minutes Materials: Soft Surface Area; Smoke Detector; White Bed Sheet; Several

Folding Chairs or Small Table. Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response. Student demonstration of skill. Background Information: Most fire deaths are caused by smoke and toxic gas inhalation.

The majority of serious residential fires occur at night when people are sleeping. To survive a fire, a family must have working smoke detectors. In addition to the presence of smoke alarms, every family member (especially children) must know what to do when a smoke alarm sounds.

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Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. Explain to students that all fires make smoke. Tell students that

it is not safe to breathe smoke. Explain that smoke is very dirty and hot. Breathing smoke can hurt or kill a person.

2. Tell students that smoke from a fire floats up as high as it can in the air or in a room. Inside of a building, the ceiling keeps smoke from getting outside. When lots of smoke collects near the ceiling, it has no where to go so it begins to slowly move down toward the floor. 3. Explain that smoke is very quiet. That is the reason why every

home needs many smoke detectors to warn smoke is near.

4. Ask students to work cooperatively and identify what actions a person should take if they hear the warning of a smoke alarm or see smoke.

5. Explain to students that an area has been created for them to

practice the safety rule-crawl low under smoke.

6. Create an area ahead of time or with the help of students. Set up a few folding chairs parallel to each other or use a small table. Place the sheet over the chairs or table to make a simulated smoke tunnel.

7. The teacher should demonstrate the skill of crawling low under

smoke. The person demonstrating the skill should be crawling on hands and knees and not on their stomach. The beeping sound of a smoke detector can be used as the signal to begin the activity.

8. While it should be explained to students that a real fire is never

a game, this activity can be enhanced by challenging students to see who can crawl low without touching their back on the pretend smoke.

9. Evaluate student progress and provide feedback on skill

demonstration.

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LESSON 5

Make A Plan, In Case Of Fire

Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. EXPLAIN WHY EVERYONE MUST HAVE A PLAN IN CASE OF FIRE.

2. IDENTIFY A DOOR AS THE SAFEST WAY TO ESCAPE A

BURNING BUILDING.

3. IDENTIFY OTHER DOORS AND WINDOWS AS POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE FIRE ESCAPE CHOICES.

4. DEMOSTRATE THE ABILITY TO SELECT AN

APPROPRIATE FIRE ESCAPE ROUTE.

5. IDENTIFY A MEETING PLACE AS THE LOCATION WHERE EVERYONE IS TO GATHER DURING A FIRE EMERGENCY.

Time Frame: 20-30 minutes Materials: Classroom Door. Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response. Student demonstration of skill.

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Background Information: Knowing what to do is essential to surviving a fire emergency.

Historically, young children present the highest fire death risk because they are often unprepared to react to an emergency in progress. White young children can not process abstract instructions, fire evacuation planning can be effectively taught so long as it is done in a simple manner.

Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. This lesson is an excellent extension to the crawl low under

smoke section.

2. Connect the previous lessons together by reviewing the importance of smoke alarms and crawling under smoke.

3. Explain to students that it is important to make a plan in case of

fire. The plan must include two ways to get outside of a building fast.

4. Carefully explain that the safest and fastest way to get outside

of a building is though a door.

5. Ask students what actions must be taken prior to opening any door, it should be felt with the back of the hand for heat. Instruct students that if a door is cool, they should open it slowly and check for fire conditions. If conditions are clear, the door can be used as a fire escape route.

6. Demonstrate the skill for students.

7. Allow students to practice the skill. Evaluate and provide

feedback.

8. Ask students to identify what action should be taken if ever a hot door is found or heavy smoke is located outside the room. Introduce the concept of an alternative escape route.

9. Explain to students that although doors are the safest and

fastest way to escape from fire, everyone must have a second choice in case the first is blocked.

10. Introduce the concept of selecting other doors or windows to be

used during an escape from fire. Other doors and windows in the classroom should be pointed out as examples.

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11. Explain to all students that all homes are different. Some

people have bedrooms on the first floor, others on upper floors. Explain to students that the only time a person should jump from an upper story window is if smoke and heat are in the room and they can not breathe.

12. Tell students that if they are trapped in a room, they should

stay at the window and yell for help. Young children will have a difficult time trying to open a window. It is best not to discuss the idea of opening a window until at an older age.

13. Repeat the activity by alternating the escape situations. Allow

some students to go out the door and others proceed to the window and await help.

14. Conclude the activity by asking students where a person should

go once they are out of the house. Reinforce that once a person reaches the outside they should go to a designated meeting place and never go back inside the burning building.

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LESSON 6

Dial 9-1-1 for Help Level: Pre-K, and Kindergarten Objectives: STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO:

1. IDENTIFY EXAMPLES OF EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. 2. IDENTIFY 9-1-1 AS THE NUMBER TO DIAL TO REPORT

AN EMERGENCY.

Time Frame: 20-30 minutes Materials: Telephone Assessment And Evaluation: Individual and Group Response. Background Information: Knowing how to report an emergency quickly and properly can

save lives. Recognizing that an emergency situation exists may be difficult for a child.

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Steps to Complete The Lesson: 1. Explain to students that it is important to know how to get help During an emergency.

2.Tell students that their first job in this lesson is to identify examples of an emergency. Ask students to work cooperatively and identify an example of an emergency. Reinforce all responses. 3. Highlight some examples of emergencies that a young child

may encounter at home. Examples may include sick person, fall victim, bee sting, fire in progress, crime in progress.

4. Explain to students that their role in an emergency could be to

call 9-1-1 for emergency assistance.

5. Prior to showing the students how to dial 9-1-1 make certain that the teachers are willing to work on this task. It is unrealistic to expect young children to learn this important job in the short time frame. If the teacher is willing to work with the students then show them how to dial 9-1-1 and the information that will be needed.

6. This visit will conclude the program. Spend some time with

the students answering any questions they may have. It is a good idea to cover the subjects that have been already presented and cover the highlights from each section.