THE Labasa Fire Station was turned into an entertainment centre this week as about 700 pre-schoolers gathered there to learn fire safety tips.
As part of the Early Childhood Week, the students not only learnt about controlling fire incidents but also enjoyed the company of Smoke Bird.
Accompanied by their teachers and parents, the students crawled through the smoke house and made their way out easily with the assistance of fire officers.
Divisional fire officer Northern John Pillay said the presence of the pre-schoolers was crucial because it was a chance for them to learn fire tips at a very young age.
“Educating our young children on fire safety tips is very important because it will guide them as they grow older,” Mr Pillay said.
“Nowadays, one of the common causes of fires is negligence and this happens when children are left unsupervised at home by their parents. They tend to play with matches and other fire-ignition sources which lead to unnecessary fires.”
Mr Pillay said controlling fire was everyone’s responsibility and it was necessary that parents played the primary role to oversee that their children were well-versed on fire safety.
“We hope that whatever they learn from here will be put to good practice for their own safety,” said Mr Pillay.