Salisbury youngster fire chief for a day
Published Saturday February 21st, 2009
Local crews attempt to pass on important messages of fire safety to New Brunswick's youth
Shelby Parker got the thrill of her young life yesterday, as the seven-year-old Salisbury Elementary School student experienced life as the province's fire chief.
Shelby, a Grade 2 French-immersion student at the school, was selected as the winner of the annual "Fire Chief for a Day" competition, which received more than 8,000 entries from hopeful grade school students across the province.
"We are preparing our kids to be the leaders of tomorrow," said Benoit Laroche, New Brunswick's Fire Marshal. "It's very important to get them at this age, to teach them good behaviour with fire prevention and safety and that's why we're always aiming to give kids this message."
Laroche, a group of local firefighters and "Burny the Firefighting Beaver" arrived at the elementary class yesterday morning to present the students with information on fire safety and to suit Shelby up with her very own fire-fighting uniform and helmet.
After educational material had been passed out, Shelby went with the local crews on a tour around town, experiencing life on the force.
Shelby, a seemingly strong but silent chief, offered up a simple explanation of her experience.
"I felt really good," she said of finding out she had been selected to be Fire Chief. "I (told my father) 'it's good, because there's school today."
Paul Parker, Shelby's father, said his usually cheery daughter was even more chipper yesterday morning.
"She was up early and she came up to me and said 'Would you like to kiss the fire chief good morning?,'" he said.
Paul says his daughter's experience riding around town in a fire engine is something she won't soon forget -- nor will she forget the take-home message of fire safety.
"She says things around the house -- like, you can't block that door in case of a fire. It's all these little things she'll say because she learned them at school," Paul said.
In addition to the fire chief competition, the province's fire crews attempt to deliver the message of safety by passing out 56,000 "Fire Safety Gazettes" to students in kindergarten to grade five each fall. Teachers are also equipped with materials on fire safety every year to help pass along the message.
"It's teaching them fire prevention and it goes with them all through their lives. Going through school, the fire department comes and talks to you about fire prevention and it sticks with you," said Randy MacTavish of the Miramichi Fire Department, who is also second vice president on the N.B. Association of Fire Prevention Officers. "It's a big issue to impress on them because they are the next generation and they ask to test their smoke detectors when they get home and they bug their mother and father about it."
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