Early Childhood
The MFB receives regular enquiries from kindergartens and child care centres requesting a visit from firefighters to teach children about fire safety and allow children to see fire trucks up close and meet firefighters personally.
MFB do not deliver structured fire safety programs to children below primary school age.
This decision was made based on research carried out by the Mental Health Services of the Royal Children’s Hospital in collaboration with the MFB.
This research indicated:
- Children under the age of five had low retention of the information they had learned.
- In some children, the information had actually stimulated their curiosity about fire and they had begun to dabble in fire play.
To assist Kindergartens and child care centres the MFB has developed a Pre-school resource kit.
This kit consists of a series of eight special posters showing firefighters in uniform (everyday uniform and fire-fighting uniform), firefighters in action, fire trucks and the MFB Alphabet poster.
To ensure that the fire safety needs of pre-school children are met, the MFB is able to offer Early Fire Safe, a fire safety program delivered by firefighters and designed for parents and caregivers of young children. These are the people who are best placed to ensure that very young children are safe from fire.
Many young children have a strong interest in firefighters and fire trucks. As MFB policy is not to visit kinders and child care centres, the best place to see them in action would be at the regular community displays held at the larger stations in the MFB area. Booking simply requires a phone call to the nearest Zone Command Office - there is no cost involved.
The MFB has developed a program specifically for Preps. Fire Ed for Preps includes fun interactive activities used by firefighters to teach simple fire safety messages. In addition, there are also extensive resources for teachers to use in their classroom as well as information for Preps to take home to their families. Fire Ed for Preps also teaches children that firefighters are friends. All children who attend primary school in the MFB area will have the opportunity to participate in Fire Ed for Preps in their first year of school.
For Further information regarding the kindergarten and child care kits or Early Fire Safe, please contact MFB Community Education Department on 9665 4464 or email commed@mfb.vic.gov.au