Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 12/02/2010 16:35

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) has officially launched elfs, an exciting and fun new way to help children under 5 learn about fire and road safety. elfs takes the form of play equipment including dressing up clothes, games, jigsaws and books with a community safety theme all contained in a large colourful box shaped like a fire engine.

The elfs project has been developed entirely in house by Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service with funding from the South West Regional Efficiency and Improvement Partnership Project Board. Praise has been heaped on the initiative from teachers, parents, children, politicians and representatives of other Fire and Rescue services who are eagerly awaiting the results of the 6 month pilot scheme in Cornwall to see if the resource can be rolled out nationally.

elfs, which stands for early learning fire safety, is aimed at under 5’s and children from St Petroc’s CE VA Primary School Bodmin and St Austell Children’s Centre were on hand to enthusiastically test out the new resource. They were let loose

Behind the fun and games there are serious messages with each of elfs seven strong crew of firefighters from ‘Blue Watch, Kernoweth Fire and Rescue Service’, based in ‘Kernoweth Town’ focusing on a specific safety message.

elfs is available on free loan to anyone involved in the education and care of children in the Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS), including nursery workers, carers and playgroup leaders. CFRS has already received over 80 requests for the resource which aims to deliver specific key messages in a fun and interactive way so that the children learn through play. elfs is available free of charge, from each of the Community Fire Stations throughout Cornwall, and Nursery’s/preschools can book it for a period of two weeks.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire Officer Des Tidbury explains: “The aim is to teach youngsters about the danger of fire and the importance of fire safety from a very young age, with the addition of some very important road safety messages for the children. The Service aims to get out there and deliver safety messages to all age groups and I see this initiative as an invaluable addition to that commitment.”

elfs works within the EYFS curriculum and CFRS are currently working with and supported by Children, Schools and Families to help promote a healthy and positive awareness of the fire and rescue service, fire and road safety, the role of the firefighter and healthy living.

A new interactive children’s area has also been launched on the Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service section of Cornwall Council’s website. The pages at www.cornwall.gov.uk/elfs include an ask the elfs question area for the children to send in their fire related questions. There are also games and activities with plans to add more over the coming months.

Representatives from the funding body as well as those who have worked on the development and creation of elfs were at the launch including Dave Norman MBE, Chairman of the Chief Fire Officers Association (SW) youth forum and Children and Young People Manager at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service who said: “Since the establishment of the CFOA youth forum in the South West, one of our key aims has been to support each other in the work programmes we devise for working with children and young people. Without doubt elfs is an innovative scheme for getting the fire safety message to pre school and early year’s pupils. When this project has been evaluated I am certain it will roll out across the Fire & Rescue Services in our region. I believe it has the potential, in time, to be used by other Services nationwide”

Cornwall Council cabinet member for stronger communities Lance Kennedy said: “This is a great example of Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service leading from the front in putting together a resource which will hopefully be adopted nationwide and provide a valuable tool in delivering important safety messages in a format which engages with the target audience.”

Cornwall Fire and Rescue want to thank The Eden Project for their support in offering a venue at which to launch elfs.

elfs is free and can be borrowed from any one of Cornwall’s community fire stations by carers, pre-schools, nurseries and children centres. For information on how to book the resource, please visit the website: www.cornwall.gov.uk/elfs

Related item: http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=18814