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Over 100 children receive important fire safety skills
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BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-THE Fire and Rescue Services Summer Safety Programme concluded yesterday (July 24) with over 100 children from St. Kitts’ primary schools having a better understanding of fire, water and traffic safety practices.
A brief closing ceremony was held at the Basseterre Fire Station, and all four parking bays for emergency vehicles were filled with young children eager to demonstrate the knowledge they had learned at the camp.
One group sang songs that detailed the importance of rescue workers and using 911, while another group took a more hands-on approach and wielded a fire hose in an imaginary rescue mission.
Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas was the special keynote speaker at the closing ceremony, and he told the youths to live by the useful lessons they had been taught at the camp because it could “help save your life one day”.
“When parents go to work, children are sometimes left home along for a period of time. Some of these children may not realise that fire is not only a good servant, but also a dangerous master. This is where our fire officials come in to teach our nation, and what better way to do this but through our children,” he said.
He urged the youths who attended the camp to share their knowledge with their friends who did not attend so as to make sure as many people as possible benefit from the annual programme.
Chief Fire Officer Hester Rawlins also spoke at the ceremony, and pointed out the phenomenal success of the programme since its inception in 2002 after a growing trend of accidental fires started by children was noticed.
Rawlins said that with the addition of a similar programme in Nevis in 2004, well over 1000 of the nation’s children have become safer, and Fire and Rescue Services has seen a decline in accidental fires started by children.
In addition to fire safety, the children were visited by members of the Coast Guard and the Traffic Department to teach them about safety related to their respective expertise.
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