Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Drills aim to cut fire deaths among kids on reserves
Five-year-old Theo Pratt crawled under thick smoke Saturday morning to make it out of his burning bedroom alive.
It wasn't real -- but Theo knew exactly what to do.
"He really knew what to do here, without being coerced by me," lauded his dad, Stacy Pratt of Sioux Valley First Nation. "It's basic stuff he's had in daycare and school."
The Manitoba Association of Native Firefighters kept a steady stream of kids crawling and rolling through their paces Saturday in a specially outfitted trailer rigged with a kitchen, bedroom, and smoke-making machine.
"It's hard to know what to do if they're not taught," said Stacy Pratt, fire protection officer for Dakota Ojibway Tribal Council.
Two of the communities he serves, Swan Lake and Dakota Plains, have no fire truck or water truck, and rely on neighbouring communities. None of the communities has water lines and fire hydrants, he said: "All of them need backup water trucks. If they don't have water, that's it, it's done."
Curtis LaPorte, 2, died in a house fire in May on Long Plain First Nation, becoming the 10th child to die in a fire on a Manitoba reserve in the past five years.
That's why it's "more important than ever to get the message out" about how to get out safely in a fire, said Tim Langevin, fire protection officer for the MANFF.
"Crawl low under the smoke and find your second way out if you can't find your first (exit)," he explained. "We talk about rolling out of bed -- don't sit up into the smoke.
"We've put about 600 kids through the trailer this year. We've been to four communities," Langevin said.
Any First Nations school that wants to arrange a training session with the MANFF trailer this fall can call 953-2920.
Fire Safety Tips
1. Install smoke alarms. Test monthly, change batteries twice a year.
2. Have a fire escape plan. Decide on a meeting place, and practise. Everyone should be able to get out in less than a minute.
3. Install a carbon-monoxide detector.
4. In the kitchen: Don't leave cooking unattended; turn pot handles inward; keep kids away from the stove.
5: Matches and lighters: Keep away from children, teach children to get an adult if they find these items.
6. While smoking: Never smoke in bed; soak butts before dumping; use large non-tip ashtrays.
7. Around electricity: Watch for flickering lights, odd smells, tripping circuit breakers; use extension cords safely.
8. Heater safety: Shut off space and portable heaters when you leave the room; keep flammables away.
9. Good housekeeping: Remove flammable paints, solvents, and other combustibles out of your house regularly, and keep them away from the furnace.
10. Burn safety: Stop, drop and roll if your clothing catches fire. If a burn occurs, cool it off and call for help immediately.
-- Office of the Fire Commissioner
Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 11, 2010 A11
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3 Comments
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Posted by: Senior Lady
July 11, 2010 at 9:43 PM
Please tell the kids not to hide!!
My sister's 6 y/o grandson hid behind the door upstairs when fire broke out. Everyone got out except him. The firemen came and counted heads and knew that one was missing. They went upstairs and found him behind the door. When they got him outside, he was unconscious and they revived him.
Posted by: I. P. Daylee
July 11, 2010 at 1:13 PM
@ Grubfoot:
You are so right....the trailer can't get to them, but the education can!
Posted by: Grubfoot
July 11, 2010 at 10:30 AM
Pukatawagan, Pauingassi, Shamattawa: you're all out of luck. The fire prevention trailer can't get to you.