Helping children and young people learn more about fire safety is vital in making communities safer in the future.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) works all year round with agencies and partners on lots of practical and educational initiatives to engage with children and young people about keeping safe from fire, and the dangers and consequences of deliberate fire-setting and hoax calls.

Head of community safety Karen Jones said: “The Fire and Rescue Service have an important role to play in contributing to the well-being of children and young people by educating them about the importance of safe behaviour and the consequences of deliberate fires and hoax calls and the importance of road safety and water safety. As well as our delivery of the schools education programme, the service also provides courses, interventions and activities that help children and young people understand risk but within a positive and fun learning environment. 

“Firefighters and community safety staff provide positive role models to children and young people all year round and we can influence their behaviour by providing them with information on how to make safe choices for themselves and their community.”

Child Safety Week is no exception. Throughout the week, we have a number of schemes running across all six of our commands.

Our youth engagement team will be running a phoenix course all week in Arfryn PRU, Swansea. The objectives of the Phoenix course is to influence young people in ways which will lead to a reduction in hoax calls, fire-related injuries and road traffic collisions. By addressing the problems relating to crime and anti-social behaviour, the team will deliver a community safety message to Improve relationships with the young people and their local communities.

The crimes and consequences Team are out in full force this week, conducting ‘Firefighters for a Day’ courses at Princes Trust, Port Talbot and in Neyland PRU. While the team will be at The Princes Trust introducing MAWWFRS’ Revolutions course for the first time. Arson, car crime and anti -social behaviour are the three key themes of the crimes and consequences project.

When it comes to engaging with children and young people in their place of education we know that reducing fire deaths and injuries is more than just providing an efficient emergency response service. It is about education to prevent the type of behaviour which leads to a fire developing in the first instance. The vast majority of children and young people lead safe, positive and productive lives. However, there is a small minority of children and young people who are involved in anti-social fire crime behaviour putting themselves and their communities in danger. Firefighters provide strong role models who inspire and positively influence young people.

The Pembrokeshire Community Safety Teams are spending time this week at Tenby Infants, Llangattock and St. Francis Primary.