The tragic fire deaths of two 2nd grade boys in Parma in
1992 was the catalyst to the firefighting community that a
more pro-active approach to public fire sa fety education was
needed. In 1993 the cities of Parma, Parma Heights,
Seven Hills and North Royalton embarked on the monumental
task of how to best educate the children in their cities so that
history did not repeat itself.
For the next three years these communities raised the
necessary funds to create a full-scale fire safety house – the
only one of its kind in Ohio. Each year more than 2,000
school aged children and their parents tour this unique facility
to receive a potentially life saving lesson.
Children learn to identify fire hazards unique to each
room of the house and are encouraged to make suggestions
as to how to eliminate them. They are also able to practice a
fire egress drill out of the house. One of the bedrooms is
equipped with a machine that makes smoke (non-toxic) and
a CD provides the sounds of fire, as well as lighting that
simulates the orange glow of flames. The children also watch
a four minute video tape of a fire. At the conclusion of the
video they are shown the “Burn Room”. This room was
where the fire in the video took place. The room was set afire
intentionally so that the aftermath of an actual fire could be
preserved to show the children how much devastation came
about in only four minutes. This visual may be the best
possible way to impress upon the children the importance of
getting out of the house immediately in case of a fire.
The children from the communities affiliated with the Parma Regional Fire Safety House come away from the tour with a new understanding of fire. They gain knowledge on the safe and proper use of fire tools. The graphic display of the damage a fire can do gives the children a way to relate to the possible consequences of what may happen if they are not responsible where fire is concerned. Teaching them to respect fire and to always practice proper fire safety is the ultimate goal for all involved.
Please feel free to contact the Parma Fire Departments Fire Prevention Bureau at (440) 885-1217 extension 103 should you have any questions or comments regarding the Parma Regional Fire Safety House.
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