Fire Safety

Program: / Lift Off
Year Level: / Kindergarten/Preschool to Year 2
Curriculum Study Areas: / Humanities and Social Sciences; Health and Physical Education
Themes/Topics: / Environment
Description: / Students explore the concept of fire and develop strategies for dealing with a house fire.
Resources: / Heroes Lift Offep 10BACTF -
Live action story part B: This story explores the theme of heroes. Nipper becomes jealous because Marco's dad is a fire fighter and is seen to be a hero because he saves lives. Eventually Nipper realises that everyone is special and his dad who is a musician is important too. In this episode, Nipper and Marco's class visits a fire station, rehearses fire safety procedures, develops a plan for escaping a fire at school and home and finds out how smoke detectors work.
Other relevant video resources: Lift Off to fire safety, ACTF

Lesson plan:

(adapted from the Lift Off to fire safety booklet):

View Heroes

Discuss the concept of 'fire'

Introduction to fire. Discuss the uses of fire in our lives, eg: warmth, cooking, manufacturing, clearing scrub. Emphasise the safe handling of fire. Discuss with students that matches and lighters are not toys but tools.
Conduct a role play

Role play what could happen if students played with matches, stressing positive strategies like handing lighters to adults if found, dissuading others from playing with matches. This episode focuses on fire in the city areas. Talk about the risk and results of bush fires and ways of keeping safe in them.

Discuss firefighters and protective clothing

Firefighters help us. Talk about the firefighters seen in this episode. What are they wearing? Breathing apparatus can look and sound scary. It is important that young children are not afraid of it. Visit a local fire station or invite a firefighter to visit. Have the students study the various aspects of the uniform and breathing apparatus. Try some items on. Discuss why it is necessary for firefighters to wear such things.

Invite someone from the MFB or CFA to bring their truck and gear for the class to view, touch and discuss.

Develop a strategy

Imagine the students discover a fire. Work out strategies to let adults know about it, eg: dial 000.Plan your escape. In this episode we see Marco, Nipper and Poss drawing a plan of escape for from their home in case of fire. Encourage students to develop an escape plan for their family and to practice it. Work out the safety rules, e.g.: never go back into a burning house. Revise the class/group escape plan and practice safe ways of carrying it out. Role play various situations.
Practice safe ways of behaving in a fire. There are two strategies demonstrated in this episode. Discuss why they are necessary. Watch the Lift Off children demonstrate them and allow regular times for students to practice them so they become skilled responses.

1. Stay down low and go, go, go (to escape from a smoke-filled environment).
2. Stop, drop and roll (to put out clothing on fire).

© Australian Children's Television Foundation (except where otherwise indicated). You may use, download and reproduce this material free of charge for non-commercial educational purposes provided you retain all acknowledgements associated with the material.