PRIMARY SCHOOLS FIRE SAFETY PROGRAMME LAUNCH by KILKENNY FIRE RESCUE SERVICE

Hundreds of third class students attending the 80 no. primary schools in Kilkenny city & county are set to receive, on an annual basis, a fire safety awareness lesson courtesy of Kilkenny Fire & 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 firefighters, which involves a shift in their focus from response to fire prevention.

The official launch of the programme in Kilkenny City (KK11) will take place in Christian Brother School, Stephen Street on Thursday 3rd May 2007 at 11:00 and will be attended by the Mayor of Kilkenny City, and the Chief Fire Officer, Ciaran Cormican.Secondly, the official launch of the programme in Kilkenny County (KK11) will take place in Gaelscoil Osraí, Lough Buí on Friday 4th May 2007 at 09:15am and Danesfort National School on Friday 4th May 2007 at 11:00am both launches will be attended by the Cathaoirleach of Kilkenny County Council, Director of Services, John Mulholland and the Chief Fire Officer, Ciaran Cormican.Sub-Station Officer Walter Wallace and fire fighters Kieran Howley, Andy Ramsbottom, and Ger Griffin all of Kilkenny City Fire Rescue Brigade, will be presenting the 'Safety Team' programme to these students.

Co-ordinating the events is Killian John Hennessy, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Kilkenny Fire & 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 ACFO 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", ACFO Hennessy concluded.

Kilkenny Fire Rescue Service has seven retained Fire 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. Ten permanent staff, with technical and administrative roles, manages the Fire Rescue Service from the headquarters in Kilkenny City. Over the school year, the Fire Service will be contacting each primary school to arrange a suitable date and time for the 'Safety Team' talk.

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