Hundreds of students, primarily third class, attending the 80no. primary schools in Kilkenny City & County are set to receive again this academic year a fire safety awareness lesson courtesy of Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service.  The information sessions form part of a nationwide programme entitled ‘Safety Team’ which has been designed to enhance the level of awareness of fire safety in the home and to raise the level of understanding of fire safety in the community.  It is to be delivered by the local firefighters, which involves a shift in their focus from response to fire prevention.

This program was launched for the first time last year and was an outstanding success with over 1,750 students received the ‘fire safety’ messages from our firefighters. 

Unfortunately we have experienced two fire deaths within our communities in Kilkenny City and County so far this year, 2008.  In our view this is two, too many, we believe that this safety initiative will help to empower our children to become our ‘ambassadors of Fire Safety in the home’ for both this generation and the next generation.

Co-ordinating the program again this year is Killian John Hennessy, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service.

“On average every year in Ireland, 46 people die (6 of those under the age of 14) from fire in the home and over 1,000 people attend hospitals with burns/scalds”, stated Officer Hennessy.  “The ‘Safety Team’ programme has been specially designed for children.  Research has shown that the age at which a child receives a fire safety education is important.  If a child is too young then he/she may not fully understand the message and a child may become frightened.  Children aged 8 or 9 years old, 3rd class students, were identified as being more open to messages of fire safety and were also noted to be more willing to interact with their parents”.

The programme will be delivered to all primary schools in Kilkenny City & County who accept the fire services offer to present the lesson.  “Every child who attends will be presented with a copy of the ‘Safety Team’ pack.  The pack will get the fire safety message across in a fun and effective way and includes various fire safety advice, stickers, games and home checks.  The school children are expected, as part of their homework, to interact with their families on the elements of the programme. It is about educating the children so that they in turn educate their families, making children the ambassadors of Fire Safety in the Home”, Officer Hennessy concluded.

Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service have seven retained Fire and Rescue Brigades located in Kilkenny City, Castlecomer, Freshford, Urlingford, Thomastown, Callan and Graiguenamanagh.  Most members of the brigades are employed on a temporary part-time retained basis.  The total number of firefighters in the County is sixty-eight.  Seven permanent staff, with technical and administrative roles, manages the Fire and Rescue Service from the headquarters in Kilkenny City.  Over the school year, the Fire and Rescue Service will be contacting each primary school to arrange a suitable date and time for the ‘Safety Team’ talk.

You can get more information from the Kilkenny Fire and Rescue Service.  Visit our website at http://www.fire.kilkennycoco.ie for further information on smoke alarms and general fire safety advice.