Community Programs Office
The Community Programs Section provides educational opportunities to
the community in an effort to reduce the number and severity of fires
and injuries. Our target audiences include all age groups from the school
age first grader to the senior citizen.
Programs Offered
Elementary school programs are taught through the Chesterfield County Public
School system as part of their yearly curriculum. Fire Safety Instructors
conduct classes in the first, second, fourth, and sixth grades that focus
on a different areas of fire and life safety and fire prevention. Additional
programs are offered as requested to the third, seventh, and eighth grades
as well as High School Programs.
School Programs
First Grade Program: This key program focuses on the
basics of home fire safety. Educators discuss with the children what a
smoke detector sounds like and what to do if a smoke detector activates.
Educators also emphasize dialing "911" when an emergency occurs
and what information they need to know in order to get help. "Stop,
Drop, and Roll" are also demonstrated to the children in the
event their clothing catches fire.
Second Grade Program: To reinforce the lessons of the
previous year, the Fire and Life Safety House is used to allow the children
to actually practice evacuating a house in a simulated fire. A Home Evacuation
Plan is a required component of this program.
Third Grade Program: Thanks to a grant from Allstate
Insurance, the Allstate Fire Safety Kit is available to all third grade
teachers for use in the classroom. This program is provided to any third
grade teacher at their request.
Fourth Grade Program: This is the most comprehensive
fire safety program offered. This four module program includes fire safety
and home escape planning, kitchen safety, fire extinguisher use, firearms
safety, bike safety, and pedestrian safety.
Sixth Grade Program: As the children are getting older,
our efforts begin to focus on the consequences of fire. The "Fire
Power" instructional program is delivered to each county sixth
grader. This program educates the students on the capabilities and consequences
of fire.
Seventh Grade Program: At the request of the teacher,
we conduct "Home Alone", a program to educate the students on
safety issues associated with being at home without adult supervision.
Eighth Grade Program: Babysitting and kitchen safety
classes are offered to classes at the request of the teacher.
High School Programs: A kitchen safety class is provided
to all students who attend Family Life classes.
Community Events
Each year individualized programs are conducted in association with large
and small community events. These include health fairs, the Chesterfield
County Fair, senior meetings, church functions, civic organization events,
and open houses. For more information, contact
Lt. Matt Coffin, Community Programs Coordinator, at 318-8342, or coffinm@chesterfield.gov.
Fire and Life Safety House
Visit the Fire and Life Safety House page at http://www.co.chesterfield.va.us/publicsafety/fire/lshouse.asp
Juvenile Fire Setters Program
Sometimes event the best fire safety education programs will not prevent
curious children from playing with fire. This program was developed
to identify fire-play behaviors that can lead to fire setting. Many
children are referred to this program by the Court System, but parents
can bring their children to this program without a court order. For
more information, contact Lt. Matt Coffin, Community Programs Coordinator, at 318-8342, or coffinm@chesterfield.gov.
Bridging the Gap Between Lifeguards and EMS
This is a video presentation that shows a comprehensive aquatic scenario from the time the lifeguards begin to deal with the victim to the time the patient gets transported to the hospital. For
more information, contact Lt. Matt Coffin, Community Programs Coordinator, at 318-8342, or coffinm@chesterfield.gov.
Download the video - Bridging the Gap Between Lifeguards and EMS
Download the video - Putting it all Together
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Chesterfield
Fire & EMS