Hazard house teaches home safety

Primary school children from across North and West Wiltshire have been learning the importance of fire safety in a special ‘hazard house’ provided by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service.

The Service has been working with colleagues from Wiltshire Police, district council environmental health departments and trading standards to run the two-week long Junior Good Citizen programme for hundreds of Year Six students (10 and 11 year olds).

Junior Good Citizen is designed to help children avoid putting themselves at risk of accident or injury, by raising their awareness of situations where something could happen. It also encourages them to respond appropriately to emergency situations, and shows how being a 'good citizen' can create a safer community.

Firefighters from Chippenham have been running the ‘hazard house’, which emulates a bedsitting room. Children are helped to identify the various risks, such as saucepans left on heat and damaged wiring.

Steve Lodge, Watch Manager at Chippenham Fire Station, said that the emphasis was on having fun while learning. "The hazard house encourages the youngsters to actively participate in the visit and to think for themselves, but it also teaches them valuable safety information."

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