In light of a number of recent incidents involving house fires resulting in multiple deaths, Don Konkle, Pennsylvania Emergency Services Institute  (PFESI) Executive Director, released this article which was published in the Chambersburg Public Opinion:

By SAMANTHA COSSICK
Staff writerpublicopiniononline.com

“FRANKLIN COUNTY — Fire departments across the county are working with the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services to launch a fire prevention program for preschool age children in Head Start programs.

“The ‘Safe Start’ program was developed by the Safe Kids program. It introduces children ages 3 to 5 to fire safety, said Meghan O’Brien, assistant director of Franklin County DES.

“‘What it does, first of all, is it introduces the kids to fire safety, so that when it’s taught at kindergarten, first- and second-grade levels, they already have an understanding,’ she said. ‘At that age, they’re able to comprehend that when the smoke alarm beeps, I need to go outside.’

Chambersburg Fire Department officials are working with Head Start programs in the borough, including Trinity Center, Benjamin Chambers Elementary School, Riley Head Start Center and Thaddaeus Stevens Elementary.

Head Start programs are also in the Waynesboro, South Mountain, Fayetteville, St. Thomas, Greencastle and Mercersburg communities.

Through a book, video, lecture and hands-on demonstration, children are taught what is “hot or not,” said Chambersburg Fire Department Capt. Tim Ebersole.

“‘It’s teaching the kids about things that are hot in the residence and that type of thing,’ he said.

“‘The video is pretty well put together. It goes through each room in the house and shows pictures and they yell out if it’s hot or not.’

The department also brings in a firefighter in their turnout gear to get the children acclimated to what they look like. They also give them a tour of the fire truck, Ebersole said.

Fatal fires with young children, such as Oct. 17, 2011, fire where a 4-year-old boy died after playing with a cigarette lighter, can be prevented through education, he said.

“‘The younger you start them and you keep talking about the same thing through life, they’re going to hopefully get the idea,’ Ebersole said.

In addition to showing hot items in the video (stoves, candles and lighters), DES also brings in props, such as a stuffed animal and a curling iron, so the children can play a hands-on game, Ebersole said.

“‘What the program concentrates on is hot or not hot,’ O’Brien said. ‘And if they do see something hot or something bad, to have a grown up come over and look at it.’

“This is the first time the program has been taught in Franklin County. Nine Head Start programs across the county will have various fire departments come in to speak with the children, she said.

“The program was started by the Home Safety Council, which merged with Safe Kids last year, O’Brien said. Officials began meeting last spring to talk about how they would introduce the program in Franklin County.”