Education Programs
All of our programs follow the NFPA’s (National Fire Protection Association) guidelines for fire safety education.
Our fire safety education program offers age-appropriate classes to all our guests and scheduled tour groups. The age range is Pre-K through senior citizens. Guests can learn how to make their homes fire-safe, visit our fire safety kitchen, and practice what to do if there is a fire in their home. We also teach the “Home Escape Plan” where guests can practice how to safely get out of a house fire. Guests are also given materials to take home and develop a plan for their own home, with their family. We have an average of 7,000 guests a year. We also offfer outreach programs with the Children’s Hunger Alliance and local Headstart programs.
Pre-school through 1st grade
We start with a fire turnout gear demonstration where we have a teacher or adult from the group put on the fire gear piece by piece. Often kids are afraid of firefighters in our gear because they cannot see our faces and we are all covered up. In a friendly way, we dress up someone they know and explain that these are just clothes we wear to work, to protect ourselves. The goal is to get kids to realize there is someone inside that gear who will help them.
We usually take a tour of the museum (kid-oriented) and ring some fire bells and then come back and do our “Matches and Lighters Are Tools, Not Toys” program. We sit down at kid level with a bin and take out either a tool or toy and have the kids tell us if it is for adults or kids. It is big fun. The end of the program gets a little serious when we talk about matches being useful to adults and what kids should do if they find matches or have a friend who wants to use them to start a fire.
Our presentation includes-
1. Fire Gear Presentation: Fire gear is presented in an interesting, fun manner to take away concerns or fears that a child might have.
2. "Bell" Tour - we take a walk with the kids through the historic portion of the museum basically to see old fire trucks and see how they work; hear the bells, ring the bell in the bell tower and to experience a firefighter sliding the pole from the bunk room upstairs to race to a fire.
3. Matches and Lighters are Tools, not Toys: a class to determine the difference in tools that grown-ups use to build, make or fix things and toys...items that are ok for kids to play with. (We point out the fact that kids sometimes help grownups with tools but we stress that no one plays with tools)
Older students (2nd Grade +)
The “Home Escape Plan” is one of the most important programs we present. Because most fatal fires happen at night when we are sleeping, participants start in our “Fire Safety Bedroom” and must decide the safest route to exit the room based on a simulated fire scenario. Participants are also given materials to develop their own home escape plan for their family. Students and chaperones are taught the components of the escape plan listed below to be more prepared in the event of a fire in their home.
Our presentation includes-
Steps of developing a HOME ESCAPE PLAN
1. Working Smoke Detectors in the home.
2. Know Two Ways Out of Every Room in the Home.
3. Sleep with Bedrooms Doors Closed.
4. Establish a Meeting Place outside the home for the family to meet to determine if everyone made it out.
Once we have talked about the steps of developing a Home Escape Plan, we take small groups into our "Safe Room" to practice what we just learned.
We then look at our two other rooms that initially looked like our safe room but these rooms experienced an actual fire and the family did not have an escape plan. It shows the reality of a home fire. In the first room, we see a firefighter searching for a victim, and in the second room we see the devastation after the fire is out.
Once we complete the fire safety lesson we take a tour of the historic museum where we explore the history of the Fire Service.
Adults and Senior Citizens
Since most home fires start in the kitchen, adults and senior citizens visit our “Fire Safety Kitchen”. In this interactive kitchen, we discuss the common causes of kitchen fires, how to prevent them, and what to do if one happens. They are also offered a chance to participate in the home escape plan program.
Our presentation includes-
1. Same as older students.
2. Kitchen demonstration - We talk about how to prevent fires in the home. We learn what not to do in the event of a kitchen fire and the correct actions we should take.
- ADULTS WITH DISABILITIES: We go over the escape plan and what to do in the event of a kitchen fire. **We teach on their level, for example we do not suggest or recommend they put a fire out. They are instructed to get out and call 911**
- A tour of the historic portion is also given.
This video, recorded inside the Fire Museum, covers four essential steps to help you teach your family, classroom, and community. Watch and learn how to create your Fire Escape Plan.
Need more practice? Visit the Fire Museum, where our amazing staff and volunteers are ready to guide you so you can confidently say, “Now I’m ready!”
