Pee Dee children learn fire, life safety

FLORENCE — Pee Dee children were schooled on the necessary skills to keep themselves and their families safe from fire and other dangers this week during a special fire safety camp this week at the Florence Family YMCA.

About 32 second graders ages 6 to 7 participated in the camp, said April Briggs, fire and life safety education officer for the state Fire Marshal’s Office.

The S.C. Fire Marshal’s Office, through a partnership with EdVenture Children’s Museum in Columbia, travels to cities and towns in South Carolina to conduct camps and demonstrations for school-age children, Briggs said.

Events such as this week’s Fire Safety Camp ensure children are exposed to life-saving knowledge, she said.

“Fire departments in each area might get a chance to get into the schools and they might not,” Briggs said. “Some areas don’t get exposed to this and we have to make sure they do. We teach a uniform set of objectives (because) we want them to have those life safety skills.”

Participants learn the history of firefighters and how their methods of firefighting have evolved through the years.

“They learn how the firefighers used to fight fire before there were hoses,” Briggs said. “They learned why they were doing the exercises before they actually did it.”

Children in the camp participated in a “Bucket Brigade,” where they worked in teams to fill buckets of water, carry them a short distance and empty the water into another larger
container.

“They were cheering each other on,” Briggs said. “They learned team work.”

Participants also learned about making fire escape plans for the home and what to say to an E-911 operator.

Rianna Stewart, 7, of Florence said she learned playing with fire isn’t a good idea.

“Don’t play with matches because you could set a fire,” she said.

She and her fellow campers also learned the importance of fire detectors.

“If a smoke detector’s not working, you could almost die,” Rianna said.

Abigail Masael, 7, of Florence said she now knows how to escape from a fire, thanks to the camp.

“We did a fire drill,” she said. “You have to crawl on the floor and out of the room.”

The four-day camp is one of five conducted this year by the S.C. Fire Marshal’s Office through a $20,000 State Farm grant, Briggs said.

For more details on arranging a S.C. Fire Marshal’s Office visit or camp, call Briggs at (803) 400-1154.