City Departments
The Fire Education Centre at The Children's Safety Village
A new $520,000 Fire Education Centre, the first of its kind in Canada, has opened its doors in Cambridge, Ontario. The Centre features a fully-decorated household with special features such as non-toxic smoke machines to help kids learn to crawl low under smoke, a balcony where kids can climb down a fire escape ladder, and a corridor that can be changed from a single-family home to a high-rise hallway. The fully equipped kitchen helps teach fire, electrical, and gas safety.
All of the lessons taught at the Centre use NFPA's Learn Not to Burn program as the basis. The Centre may be used for Risk Watch in the very near future. All programs, videos, and activities reinforce what teachers are already teaching in 220 local schools in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and four surrounding townships.
With two 1,800 square-foot classrooms, the Centre can accommodate 15,000 students each year. We currently offer programs to students in grades 2, 4, and 6, but we're also equipped to teach adults about fire safety. The Centre was funded by a $140,000 contribution from the KW Civitans, a $100,000 donation from Economical Insurance, and $90,000 worth of building materials from the local Home Depot. Other donations come from individual citizens, businesses, corporations, firefighters, and other agencies. Not one cent came from taxpayers' pockets.
The Fire Education Centre is part of the Children's Safety Village. All fire departments in the region are part of the Safety Village Fire Education Centre and all of the teaching programs are from the "Risk Watch" Fire Safety and Prevention Program and "Learn Not to Burn". The schools in the region bring the children to the Centre. On the Police Education side, Grades 1, 3 and 5 attend sessions on learning about street and pedestrian safety and bicycle and internet safety in Grade 5. The Fire Education portion teaches fire safety, fire prevention and survival to Grades 2, 4 and 6. The programs and facility are very interactive so the children are learning with hands on experience. There are also assignments that take the messages home to the family. The Fire Education side presents programs to between 12,000-15,000 children every year. The same amount of children go through the Police side as well. We also have and run with a good volunteer and co-op base. Inquiries can be made to the Cambridge Fire Department at (519)621-6001 or the Children's Safety Village at (519)653-7700, Ext. 8889.
All of the lessons taught at the Centre use NFPA's Learn Not to Burn program as the basis. The Centre may be used for Risk Watch in the very near future. All programs, videos, and activities reinforce what teachers are already teaching in 220 local schools in Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo, and four surrounding townships.
With two 1,800 square-foot classrooms, the Centre can accommodate 15,000 students each year. We currently offer programs to students in grades 2, 4, and 6, but we're also equipped to teach adults about fire safety. The Centre was funded by a $140,000 contribution from the KW Civitans, a $100,000 donation from Economical Insurance, and $90,000 worth of building materials from the local Home Depot. Other donations come from individual citizens, businesses, corporations, firefighters, and other agencies. Not one cent came from taxpayers' pockets.
The Fire Education Centre is part of the Children's Safety Village. All fire departments in the region are part of the Safety Village Fire Education Centre and all of the teaching programs are from the "Risk Watch" Fire Safety and Prevention Program and "Learn Not to Burn". The schools in the region bring the children to the Centre. On the Police Education side, Grades 1, 3 and 5 attend sessions on learning about street and pedestrian safety and bicycle and internet safety in Grade 5. The Fire Education portion teaches fire safety, fire prevention and survival to Grades 2, 4 and 6. The programs and facility are very interactive so the children are learning with hands on experience. There are also assignments that take the messages home to the family. The Fire Education side presents programs to between 12,000-15,000 children every year. The same amount of children go through the Police side as well. We also have and run with a good volunteer and co-op base. Inquiries can be made to the Cambridge Fire Department at (519)621-6001 or the Children's Safety Village at (519)653-7700, Ext. 8889.