Matawai kids get down and crawl for Firewise drill

YOUNG FIREFIGHTERS: Sophia Carmichael and Emma Glengarry get a feel for firefighting by trying on the heavy-duty gear. Picture by Hamish Carmichael

It was a fire drill with a difference for the children at Matawai School yesterday, who got to experience what it would be like to get out of the building when there is limited visibility due to smoke.

Six crew from Matawai Volunteer Fire Brigade attended the school drill and set up a smoke machine in the corridor to create a realistic experience for the students as they practised an evacuation.

Matawai School principal Glenn Knight said the fire drill was designed as a real-life situation where the alarms went, smoke was in the school building and the fire crew turned up as if in a real event.

“I ‘acted’ to re-enter a burning building and was subsequently rescued by the crew as a demonstration to the kids,” he said.

The whole school took part and had to practise getting out of the smoky corridor by getting on their hands and knees and crawling.

Now they have to write about the experience and begin a discussion around safety.

Matawai School works closely with the fire brigade and uses its expertise and services during the school year.

The firefighter visit was part of the Get Firewise programme the school has been working on.

“We do the Firewise programme every three years as part of our learning programmes.”

The drill at the end of the presentation was to give students an experience that makes it more meaningful.

Station officer Hamish Carmichael said the volunteer fire brigade gets ongoing training and is the first port of call for local fire and emergency events.