Kids learning how to be safe at home and on the street was the goal of two educational sessions put on by the Town of Penhold on April 3.
Jim Pendergast, fire chief for Penhold, and Cory Kingsfield, a community peace officer, joined forces to present about 15 kids between the ages of eight and 12 with information and strategies.
Pendergast tackled fire and fire hazard safety at home part, called Safe at Home.
“We talk about if they have an emergency at home what to do,” Pendergast said.
The program has become an annual event held in the spring.
“We have done it yearly for the last three years,” Pendergast said.
Pendergast kicked off the two hours session by going over information with the kids, springing a true and false quiz on them and then having a demonstration with firefighters and the gear.
Three other members of the volunteer fire department came out to help Pendergast with the demonstrations and the tour of the fire truck.
“We get really good feedback,” Pendergast said of families' reactions to the program. “The best way to get to families is through the kids.”
The second half of the session was taken on by Kingsfield, who covered a course called Streetwise.
The streetwise course helps give tips on what youth should do if a stranger approaches, how to avoid the stranger and how to react to anyone who is persistent in their approach.
Kingsfield even gives the children a reminder on how to handle themselves if a stranger tries to grab them.
“You stomp on his foot, you kick, you bite, you scream,” Kingsfield said, adding kids should make as much noise as they can.
Kingsfield talked to attendees and did some small demonstrations as his part of the session.
Like Pendergast, Kingsfield said he hears good feedback about the program from parents and children.
“The kids love it,” he said, adding he got them to interact with him and each other during the morning.
He passes around his badge and identification to help show the kids how real peace officers and police officers will present themselves.
He also sends home a colouring book with pictures about different situations and notes for adults on how to discuss them with the children.
