Instructor Guide
Session Reference: 1
Topic: Presenting the “Firefighter is a Friend” Program
Time Required: 2 hours
Materials: Turnout gear, SCBA
References:
Essentials of Fire Fighting, Fourth Edition, Chapter 19
Fire Safety for Young Children: A Curriculum Guide
Preparation
Motivation:
Objective (SPO) 1-1
The student will demonstrate a basic knowledge of personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus and be able to present a program and explain its use to an audience of young children.
Overview
· Presenting the “Firefighter is a Friend” Program
· Characteristics of fire
· Why firefighters need special clothing
· Describing the turnout gear
· Describing the SCBA
· Dressing a firefighter
· The firefighter gets low and crawls
· Practice presentation
Session 1
Presenting a “Firefighter is a Friend” Program
SPO 1-1 The student will demonstrate a basic knowledge of personal protective equipment and self-contained breathing apparatus and be able to present a program and explain its use to an audience of young children.
EO 1-1 Describe the characteristics of fire (heat, light, smoke).
EO 1-2 Explain why firefighters need special clothing and SCBA.
EO 1-3 Identify each piece of personal protective clothing (boots, pants, hood, coat, helmet and gloves).
EO 1-4 Describe the parts of the SCBA.
EO 1-5 Don protective equipment and SCBA.
EO 1-6 Crawl and interact with the audience.
EO 1-7 Present the program
Instructional Guide
I. Characteristics of Fire
Note: When making a presentation, the firefighter needs to be on the same language level as the audience.
A. Hot, what you feel
1. Relate to oven, woodstove, fireplace, grill, curling iron, etc.
2. Ask what happens when you touch something hot
B. Flame – what you see
1. Talk about the color
2. Is it hot close to the flame
C. Smoke
1. If you breathe it, you cough
2. What happens to smoke outside
3. What happens to smoke inside
4. What color is the smoke.
II. The Need for Protective Equipment
A. Protects the firefighter from heat and smoke
B. Interact with the audience on what parts of the body are covered.
C. Protects the lungs
III. Identify protective clothing
A. Boots
1. Keeps your feet dry
2. Keeps your feet warm – relate to winter boots
3. Steel toe – firefighters’ toes don’t get “smushed”
4. Steel shank – protect bottom of foot, work on ladder
5. Handles
B. Pants
1. Protect the legs
2. Stored with the boots – note how fast to put on
3. Three layers
4. Suspenders
a. Ask why firefighters wear suspenders
b. Ask what color they are
5. Stripes – talk about glow (reflect)
6. Knee pads for crawling
C. Hood
1. Covers head, hair, neck and ears
2. Ask if hair can burn.
3. Material – like race car drivers
D. Coat
1. Relate to winter coat – but firefighter wears it all year
2. Three layers – just like the pants
3. Pockets – Ask what firefighter might carry
4. Stripes – glow
5. Lettering – Ask if they know the letters
6. Zipper, hooks, snaps
E. Helmet
1. Hard shell – like a turtle
2. Suspension system – cushion
3. Ear flaps
4. Shield – can you see through it?
5. Ask if they know the number
F. Gloves
1. Leather, lining
2. Move fingers
3. Protect from heat and cold
4. What color
IV. The Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus
A. Air tank (cylinder)
1. Clean air in the cylinder (“squished” in)
2. Analogy to a soda can sound when opened
B. Bell/alarm
1. Explain warning device
2. Listen when cylinder is turned on
3. Be sure to tell them BEFORE you do it.
C. Harness
1. Where is it worn.
2. Analogy to a back pack
3. Why does a firefighter wear it on the back?
D. Facepiece
1. Looks different, sound different
(Note: Do not relate this to a monster (such as Darth Vader – remember he was the bad
guy)
2. Important – a firefighter can still see and breathe
3. If older unit, talk about low pressure hose and spider on the facepiece.
E. Connection
1. How does air get from the cylinder to the facepiece
2. If mask-mounted regulator, talk about turn and click
V. Dressing in the Gear and SCBA
A. Boots and pants first
B. Hood, then coat
C. SCBA and facepiece
D. Helmet and gloves
E. Connect SCBA and breathe
Notes: You can talk about the equipment and then while dressing, do a “refresher” or you can talk about each piece as you put it on. Be sure to do most of the talking before the facepiece is on. This can also be done with one firefighter talking while the other firefighter dons the PPE and SCBA Be sure to arrive at the site in street clothes or station uniform - NOT in your PPE and SCBA. Lay out the clothing and SCBA so that it is accessible and in order of donning.
VI. Interaction
A. Once dressed and on air, crawl around and among the students
B. Turn down lights so that the reflective stripes glow.
C. Use a flashlight
D. Allow children to touch the equipment if they want to.
E. Talk to the children so they can hear your voice through the facepiece
F. Ask the teacher or group leader to assist with class control
G. Remove each piece of SCBA and clothing and ask what it is.
H. Ask for questions (some children need to be reminded about what a question is)
I. Thank the class for letting you come and share.
VII. Practice Presentation
A. Select two firefighters to present (or ask for volunteers)
B. Instruct the remaining students to role play as students (kindergarten works well – age 5)
C. Critique the presentation.
Summary
Review:
· Presenting the “Firefighter is a Friend” Program
· Characteristics of Fire
· Why firefighters need special clothing
· Describing the turnout gear
· Describing the SCBA
· Dressing a firefighter
· Firefighter crawl and glow
· Practice presentation
