School Programs

Nationally, over 1,000,000 children are burned and 3,000 children die annually because of burn injuries. Children are one of the highest risk groups for dying in home fires. It has been proven that organized fire prevention education makes a strong impact on fire survivability.

The Rockford Fire Department has active fire prevention programs for Rockford public and private school children. Our presentations are grade-appropriate and last approximately 35 to 45 minutes. The presentations are given in both English and Spanish. The presentations are designed around the Illinois State Learning Objectives for each grade level. The presentations are exciting multimedia events that actively involve the students in information exchange.

• Grades 1, 3, and 5: "Fire and Burn Prevention" taught by a fire inspector. These classes are taught to individual classes. The students are given a multimedia presentation that coordinates written, auditory, and visual information to accommodate different learning styles.
• Grade 2: "What is 911?" taught by a 911 telecommunicator. This class is best taught in individual classes, as it is a hands-on demonstration of how to properly use the 911 emergency system.
• Grade 4: "Drown Prevention" taught by an on-duty Rescue Diver. This class needs to be a group presentation for all of the 4th grade because an on-duty Rescue Diver is used as the instructor.
• Survive Alive House: Home Escape Demonstration Simulator

In addition to the classroom presentations, a custom-built Survive Alive House is used to provide realistic home escape drills. The Survive Alive House was built by Rockford Firefighters and has shown nearly 100,000 people the realistic effects of a smokey home in its 15-year service. The escape drills show users the importance of having two means of escape in the event of a fire in the home. The Survive Alive House is used extensively at schools, community festivals, and special events throughout the spring and summer seasons.