Firefighters speak to a group of children about fire safety. (Prince Albert Fire Department/ Facebook)

By Ian Gustafson

Fire Safety

Local YWCA program helps newcomer children settle in

Sep 20, 2020 | 10:00 AM

The YWCA in Prince Albert is reflecting on a successful Settlement Services summer program that helped children who are new to the province and country feel more comfortable and make friends.

The program – the second of its kind – was held in July and August and was funded by the Community Initiatives Fund and featured visits to various facilities, including a chance to meet and engage with some of the uniformed crew at the P.A. Fire Department.

Carolyn Hobden, manager of Settlement Services for the YWCA said because of the COVID restrictions they did smaller weeklong sessions with newcomers to the country. These are children who have lived in Canada for two years or less.

“We had five to six children at a time that came to these sessions and we also had a few Canadian children come as well so that they could make friends with some people in the community and also try to enhance their English skills by talking with other people who have been in Prince Albert for a long time.”

“It gives our newcomers some activities to do because often they’re here just with their families and don’t always get the same kind of experiences that people get who are born here,” she explained. “They don’t realize what activities are there for children and the things that are available in Prince Albert.”

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Embracing emergency personnel

The children were able to come during the week to do activities such as going to a playground, art activities through the Mann Art Gallery, mini golfing, bowling and even a fire safety lesson from the Prince Albert Fire Department.

During the sessions with the fire department the kids were able to learn basic fire safety and tour the fire truck. Hobden said the young participants were excited but said it is also important for them to get to know people in uniform and know they’re there to help them when they need them.

“Fire safety is very important and to teach them what to do if anything did happen in their homes and so that if something did happen, they’re not afraid,” Hobden said. “They know to dial 911, they know that maybe a fire truck could come, and all those things and they wouldn’t be scared.”

Firefighter Cole Tait said they gave the group a general fire safety talk.

Some of the basics included having a fire escape plan in their homes, the importance of smoke detectors, needle safety, safely being by the river and showing them all the parts of a fire truck.

Fire truck is star attraction

“That’s what the kids want to see,” Tait said. “Let them go through a quick tour of the truck one at a time and other than that it was just a lot of general questions and answers the kids had because a lot of them had never seen something like that before.”

He added the children were interested in the different types of tools such as the extrication equipment or the hoses. He said often they would get one of the firefighters to dress in full gear to show what they look like.

“It’s always a great experience for us,” he said. “It was good to get out and actually get the information out to a group of kids in a safe way. Just seeing kids that are excited about it and getting a chance to see that again is a rewarding experience. It all starts at the ground level with the kids and getting them into that fire safety thinking at a young age.”

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ian.gustafson@jpbg.ca