The value of having Morden firefighters speak to local students was fully evident after an incident that occurred last week.
At 8:35 a.m. Aug. 27, Morden Fire and Rescue responded to a kitchen fire in an apartment complex.
Before firefighters even arrived, a 13-year-old resident had already taken lifesaving action.
The girl called out to her mother, who was in the shower, and not only safely evacuated her younger siblings but also pulled the building’s fire alarm to alert neighbours and then grabbed a fire extinguisher from the common hallway to extinguish the blaze.
The fire department shared that when the youth was asked what inspired her quick thinking, she said it came from when firefighters visited her school to speak about fire safety.
Chief Andy Thiessen said this speaks volumes about the work of their public education team and the collaboration with schools to share fire safety messaging.
“We assume students take this knowledge back home into their regular lives, and at some point in time it might be a benefit to them … you don’t expect it to unfold in front of you like this so suddenly,” he said. “She obviously remembered it all and took action, so it was awesome.
“It verifies that the time and effort we put in to it does actually make a difference … and for the schools to allow us to come in there and speak to the kids every year, that sure helps because not all school divisions do that, so it’s kind of nice for them to let us do that here.”
The department shared the story on its social media pages, noting “We could not be prouder of her courage and quick actions. Today, she turned lessons into lifesaving action, protecting her family, her neighbours and preventing further damage.”
