Public fire-safety education is one of the three pillars in our community, the others being effective fire ground operations and fire-safety inspection programs. School based programs are the most effective way to influence fire-safety in our community. Why? Because these programs can be taught in either official language, then the students take the lesson home and communicate them to their parents in the language spoken at home. This is a very effective way to get the information into households. Students should come away from their-school program with a safety message to take home to their families and / or homework that require them to work on a family escape plan & check their smoke alarms. 

            The Russell Fire Department is very involved in their schools making sure a fire safety program is in place. Community partners like the Russell Lions Club assist by providing funding so that the Russell Firefighters can run their Fire Safety Checklist Program in the elementary schools.

            Any community fire department that does not have a public-education program should re-evaluate why it is in the firefighting business.

 

            Is it the thrill of fighting fires or the reward of saving lives?