NEAFC 31st Annual Conference.pdf - New England Association of ...

NEW ENGLAND ASSOCIATION OF FIRE CHIEFS
Another "Three women and a baby burned to death, and a man was killed in a
leap from the fourth-floor window, when the fire swept through a rodming house.
The blaze originated, when a roomer fell asleep while smoking in bed. Aroused by the
heat, he dashed into the hall and left his door open, giving the flames, air and full
, possession of the building."
After giving more instances of fatalities caused by smoking in bed, the article
closes with:
"And, if that isn’t enough, the sights the firemen see day.after.day would convince
anybody that of all the nitwits on earth--and under the earth---the ones who really
take first prize are those who smoke in bed!"
In the wintertime, particularly, newspapers carry daffy reports of fires caused~ by
overheated or exploding space heaters. The sad part of the stories is the number of
small children who lose their lives in such fires.
Some of the human interest stories might well be told to paren.ts, in order -that
they may see the dangers which their children face, and that children themselves, of
school age and above, may learn how they can protect themselves in case of fire. These
older children have, in many cases, demonstrated by acts of real heroism their resourcefulness,
initiative and clear thinking in times of crisis.
We have reason, to believe that the ed,ucation and training received in our schools
have been-of inestimable value in the saving of human lives. Because safety education
to us in school work means the training of children to avoid accidents to themselves
and prevent accidents to others, it involves the acquisition of a certain fund of information,,
the ability to apply the information to concrete safety situations, and the building
up of habits which will result in desirable behavior.
"Safety education means teaching the child to adjust himself to our modern civilization."
From this point, I shall try to show yo.u what we are doing in the schools of
Massachusetts to assist you in reducing the number of fires in the Commonwealth.
You each have a copy of the reprint from the curriculum ’Guide, which indicates the
mar.ner in which safety education is presented;
After years of experience , we believe that accident prevention should be in a
continuous program from kindekgarten through ,high school, and integrated with any
subject in the curriculum.
Because you are particularly interested in fire prevention, let us turn to page 279,
and see where there are opportunities for a teacher to introd~uce the subject in her
daily program. Recent fires may be reported and discussed in opening exercises. Assemblies
give opportunities for presentations of speakers from the Fire Department.
Mc.ving pictures, slides, demonstrations and plays are a visual means of presentation.
In social studies, the community is studied, an.d the work of the Fire Department
receives attention.
Language arts provide opportunities for the writing of plays, compositions and
reading allied to the subject.
First-aid, is introduced into the health program, and home economics furnishes
many cases in which the prevention of fires may well be presented.
Science gives opportunities for ,teaching the causes of fire, .and many demonstrations
are possible.
~ Thus, the. alert teacher teaches fire prevention and accident prevention on many
and varied occasions.
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