Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 25/02/2005 14:00

One hundred balloons will be released by children from St Johns Catholic Primary School, Camborne on Monday 28th February. The balloons are an innovative way of promoting community fire safety messages, and also celebrate the launch of new fire safety school books for primary school children.

The school books were designed by Cornwall County Fire Brigade’s Community Safety Advisors and target Keystage 1 and 2 children across Cornwall. They will assist the advisors in their aim of promoting fire safety and tie in with the National Curriculum.

The Community Safety Advisors role was established in 2000 and the advisors visit all primary schools across Cornwall delivering fire safety messages such as: ‘working smoke alarms save lives’, ‘how would you get out alive? Make an escape plan today’ and ‘stop, drop and roll’ if your clothes should catch fire.

The Advisors have recently started visiting secondary schools teaching Keystage 3 children the implications of arson. Their teaching package
Prison Me! No Way! Is a youth crime reduction programme pioneered by officers at Hull Prison in 1993. It has since grown to become one of the most innovative and rapidly advancing crime prevention and educational aids.
The aim is to show the effects of crime, demonstrate how the law is there to protect and to punish and dispel myths of imprisonment. Young people are encouraged to be more understanding of others who may be less fortunate than themselves, to be responsible for one’s own actions and dissuading young people away from crime.

“To celebrate the launch of the new school books the children from St Johns Catholic Primary School are releasing 100 balloons. Each balloon has a child’s own fire safety message tied to it. Also attached is Cornwall County Fire Brigade’s telephone number” explained Community Fire Safety Advisor Erin Orton.

She added: “We hope that anyone finding a balloon will phone the number and let us know where they found it! The child that owns the balloon that travels the furthest wins a prize, and the balloons help the brigade to spread fire safety messages even further!”

Anyone finding a balloon should call 01872 323747 between 9am and 5.30pm Monday to Friday.