Pre-schoolers learn to be Emergency Helpers
A new program aimed at educating three to five year old’s on the
role of emergency service workers has been launched today by the NSW Minister
for Health,
the Honourable John Della Bosca.
The Ambulance Service of NSW (Ambulance), in consultation with NSW Police Force and NSW Fire Brigades, developed the Emergency Helpers Program. The program encompasses all emergency service workers with a focus on recognition of emergency service personnel, the number to call in an emergency along with tools to begin learning their home address.
Ambulance Chief Executive Greg Rochford welcomed guests and representatives from NSW Police Force and NSW Fire Brigades. The formalities were watched by 56 eager pre-school children!
The Emergency Helpers Program is web-based and is currently available for download from the Ambulance and Police web sites. The program is a precursor to Ambulance’s primary school education program Be an Ambulance Hero: Dial Zero Zero Zero with an overlap of key messages that Ambulance already has in place.
It is important that every person in New South Wales understands how and when to call for emergency services, regardless of age. Early childhood settings provide the perfect platform for important educational messages such as this and provide a safe learning environment for children to understand these messages.
It is often the case that children are responsible for dialling Triple Zero in an emergency. They become solely responsible for directing emergency services to the address by verbal communication with emergency operators.
The program includes a teacher resource book which outlines the programs objectives and lesson plans, flashcards to illustrate key messages, games and take home material for the students.
Special thanks are extended to Paramedic Garry Francis of Bowral Station for providing the illustration of Billy-Be-Safe which was used in the program – a character that children relate to extremely well.
The host venue for the launch, Bubs Child Care Centre at Maroubra was one of the pre-schools in Sydney who participated in the trial of the program to provide feedback from the target group.
Feedback received from students at a pre-school north-west of Sydney
that also participated in the trial of the program included:
• Jessica (age 5): “I was a patient and I loved it and everybody fixed me”.
• Ella (age 4): “It was the best. We fixed people and made them better”.
To download the Emergency Helpers kit click here