Home Child Care Providers are targeted for basic training at West Metro Fire's Home Safety Boot Camp. This training course is designed to combat the risks of unintentional injury and death among young children in home child care settings. Home Safety Boot Camp "recruits" will get a crash course in home fire hazards and injury prevention awareness, proper use of fire extinguishers and how to evacuate children safely, infant/child car seat safety/inspections, and a lesson on how to teach fire and injury prevention to children. The class is Saturday, October 7th, 8:00am-12:00pm: Fire Prevention & Motor Vehicle Safety.
The registration fee is $40 (non-refundable). Credit cards accepted online. Check/money order accepted with mail-in registration. Home child care providers completing the Home Safety Boot Camp receive a certificate of participation indicating 4 continuing education credits. PARENTS WELCOME, TOO.
Location: West Metro Fire Rescue Headquarters - 433 South Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226
REGISTER ONLINE AT
www.westmetrofire.org Questions? Call
Susan Saito, Life Safety Education Specialist,at (303) 989-4307, ext. 537.
Kathy Hamling shares her experience as a "recruit" at the Home Safety Boot Camp:
My name is Kathy Hamling, and I have had a licensed daycare in my home for 13 years. I have taken all of the classes that the state offers to become licensed, along with the CPR, first aid, medication administration, and continuing education courses that I choose each year to keep up with my license. All of the classes I take I can usually get something out of, but the one that sticks out in my mind was the first time I took the West Metro Fire Home Safety Boot Camp. I got there and was greeted by several smiling faces, given a free t-shirt, and told to help myself to any breakfast I would like. I had yet to see a class such as this one. I had my daughter with me, that was also given a shirt, and treated as royalty. She still asks when we are going back to that FUN class again.
I learned so much in the half day that I spent at the boot camp. I learned what it is like to be hit in a car and not have a car seat installed correctly, and then was taken outside and given tips on how to install one the correct way. This is something so many people do wrong, and never know until something really BAD happens. I also learned how to actually USE a fire extinguisher. Until that day, I only sat mine in a pantry in the kitchen and it collected dust. This was a great hands- on training session for me. I also learned that it is important to not only have an evacuation plan for every house, but to use it and practice it for when you really need it. It is not a given that every child will just KNOW how to get out of the home that they are in. They usually come in and go out the front door, but that may not be the way out if the front door is on fire!
This boot camp was all hands on and such a learning experience for me that I sign up and take it every year. It is by far the best class for every parent, grandparent, care taker, or just anyone that deals with children and in a position of trust. It is definitely worth the money and time spent to keep me on my toes with all of the children in my care. I recommend this class to everyone that is looking to improve their parenting skills, starting a daycare, continuing education, or just wanting some good hands-on training in something that could potentially help save a life someday.