Sofia Woons, a local kindergarten student, got the chance to be Fire Chief for a day.
In the days leading up to Fire Prevention Week, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services (LFES) held a city wide contest. Students from 23 schools across the city were tasked with creating their own fire escape plans, making sure they had adequate ways out of every room in their house. Sofia’s name was then chosen by a random draw.
Heath Wright, Chief Fire Marshall for LFES, says it’s never too soon to start teaching kids about fire safety. He adds that the contest was not only a way to teach children about the importance of fire safety, but a way to remind parents as well.
“We really concentrate on educating children because parents, they listen to their children, they work with their children,” says Wright. “By doing something like this, working with the children to plan fire escapes, it’s just a good refresher.”
Sofia won a certificate, a prize pack that included her own fire suit, and the chance to spend a day touring a fire station and riding in a fire truck.