The Springfield Fire Department will once again use October’s Fire Prevention Month as an opportunity to educate Springfield citizens about fire safety. In cooperation with Springfield Public Schools and several private schools, firefighters will visit every kindergarten through fifth-grade classroom in Springfield, providing age-appropriate fire safety lessons throughout the month.
In addition to the elementary school visits, firefighters will also visit numerous preschools throughout Springfield in the month of October.
By the end of October, SFD will have provided more than 10,000 children with life-saving safety information they will carry with them for a lifetime.
During school visits, firefighters provide information to children on how to prepare for, prevent and respond to a fire. The lessons include hands-on activities to make the visits educational and fun. The lessons are taught by select Springfield firefighters who have been specially trained and have shown an interested in educating children.
To encourage the use of smoke alarms, following the school visits, each child will be given a smoke alarm survey for parents to fill out. Every child who turns the form back in will be entered into a drawing to win a ride to school in a fire engine. Families who indicate they are in need of a smoke alarm or battery for their existing smoke alarm will be contacted by the Springfield Fire Department with details about its free smoke alarm program.
The Fire Prevention Month school program is part of the department’s comprehensive Community Risk Reduction campaign. Firefighters will also continue Project RED Zone, a program to ensure every Springfield home has working smoke alarms. Every Saturday, firefighters go door to door in Springfield neighborhoods, testing smoke alarms and installing new ones if needed.