THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 27, 1995 TAG: 9504260142
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUSIE STOUGHTON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
Firefighters are haunted by memories of house fires like a 1990 arson that killed four children in Holland.
Anytime a child dies in a fire is difficult, but that one was ``particularly nasty,'' said Suffolk Fire Lt. Jeff Messinger.
Now local firefighters are increasing their fight for children's lives, by expanding their work with city schools to teach fire safety.
In the past decade, 15 children under age 16 have died in house fires in the city. That's 15 too many, Messinger said.
To reduce that number, the Suffolk Fire Department is introducing the national ``Learn Not to Burn'' program - two elementary schools at a time - and in the Head Start classes operated by Southeastern Tidewater Opportunity Project. The cooperative program with the Suffolk Public Schools is being supported by contributions from Allied Colloids Inc.
The curriculum teaches children fire prevention and safety and what to do in case of fire. The program's goal is to reduce fire deaths.
``We know we're not going to totally eliminate them,'' Messinger said. ``Anybody who sets zero as a goal is setting themselves up for failure. But hopefully, we can make a difference with this program.''
Suffolk Fire Department was chosen for one of 60 pilot projects across the United States and Canada. Waynesboro was the only other Virginia locality selected from the 600 applicants.
They were chosen on basis on need due to a high number of children who have died in fires, ability to implement the program and financial backing to continue beyond the first year.
This fall the curriculum will be implemented at Southwestern and Nansemond Parkway Elementary schools and the Head Start classes. Eventually, the program will be expanded to each of the city's 10 elementary schools.
The first two schools were chosen, Messinger said, because the highest incidents of fire deaths had been in their areas.
The worst single fire was the blaze in Holland that killed four children - 13, 11, 9 and 6.
The youngest would have been a fifth-grader at Southwestern this year, said Wanda Hamilton, who took over as that school's principal last fall.
Before W.D. ``Don'' White became principal of Nansemond Parkway Elementary, three students died in house fires. He believes the ``Learn Not to Burn'' program will help prevent such tragedies.
``We don't know how many lives it will save,'' White said. ``But if we save one child's life through this process, then it will be worthwhile.''
The Head Start classes visit the fire department every year and learn about fire safety, said Ramona Gillis, area coordinator.
The family of one of the Head Start students had been displaced by fire earlier this year, she said, and the 4-year-old student had been the first one out of the burning house. Gillis believes the fire safety instruction paid off.
Messinger, who attended a four-day training workshop in Boston earlier this month, will teach the participating teachers this summer. Next year, they will instruct teachers at the next two schools, Driver and Florence Bowser Elementary.
That's the approach of Johnny Appleseed, the symbol of the LNTB program. The 60 departments will hopefully share their knowledge and experience with others until eventually every child in North America will grow up knowing and practicing how to be safe from fire.
The curriculum fits into the city schools' educational approach, said Bethanne Bradshaw, school spokesperson. ``It is an integrated curriculum where the students learn about fire safety in all their classes,'' she said.
In the first year, nearly 1,000 Suffolk families will learn about fire safety through the pilot program, she said.
Allied Colloids has pledged $1,000 a year for four years for materials, beginning in 1996. by CNB