Wednesday October, 8  2025

Nature: Fire Prevention Activities

Location: Long Neck Elementary School

The Indian River Volunteer Fire Company offers valuable fire prevention information to children through school programs, community events, and hands-on simulations using a fire safety trailer. This fire safety trailer serves an essential purpose of providing a realistic, educational experience about what to do in a smoke-filled environment. 

Educational opportunities for children

• School fire prevention programs: Indian River’s fire prevention cohort attends the Long Neck School to teach children about fire safety fundamentals, including the importance of working smoke alarms. These programs often use age-appropriate messaging with emphasis on the National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) annual fire prevention theme.

• Community risk reduction initiatives: Indian River sets up community event booths with educational and informational handouts on various fire safety topics. These events provide opportunities for hands-on learning and interaction with firefighters in a non-threatening environment.

• Encouraging family engagement: These programs encourage families to practice home fire escape plans together. Important lessons include having two ways out of every room and designating an outside meeting spot. 

• Simulations with a fire safety trailer: The fire safety trailer provides a realistic, hands-on experience for children to practice fire escape plans in a safe setting. Children learn how to respond to the sound of a smoke alarm and practice safe escape routes.

What children learn at the fire safety trailer?  Children are taught critical life-saving skills during these educational events, including:

• "Stop, drop, and roll": How to extinguish a fire on their clothing.

• Using escape routes: Feeling a door for heat and using an alternate escape route if it's hot.

• Staying low: Crawling low to avoid smoke, which rises.

• Knowing fire alarms: What smoke alarms sound like and what to do when they hear one.

• Staying outside: Reinforcing the message to "get out, stay out" and never re-entering a burning building for any reason.

• Calling 911: How to correctly use 911 in an emergency.