FIREFIGHTERS are often role models for children because they are brave and go on life-saving adventures. Young people being treated at hospital have received a special visit from the men in yellow, who had some words of wisdom to give about keeping safe.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service is backing Child Safety Week, the annual campaign by the Child Accident Prevention Trust to raise awareness of the risks of child accidents and how they can be prevented.

During the awareness week the fire service’s staff made an educational visit to the children’s wards of Glan Clwyd Hospital, as well as Ysbyty Gwynedd and Wrexham Maelor Hospital, to talk about how to prevent fires and the best ways to act if a fire does happen.

Kevin Roberts, the fire service’s senior fire safety manager, said: “We understand the value of preventing the incident from happening in the first place. Child Safety Week is a fantastic opportunity to encourage parents, guardians or carers to think about how they can put simple measures in place to safeguard children against anything from minor accidents to serious harm and injury.”

The fire service has the following children’s fire safety tips:

• Fit a smoke alarm and involve children in testing it weekly to help keep them fire-aware. It can provide the vital seconds you need to escape a fire in your home.

• Nominate your child to be the ‘escape champion’ by regularly role-playing house fire situations.

• Keep candles, lighters and matches well out of children’s reach, and never leave burning candles unattended.

• Make sure children know that the kitchen is not a play area and never leave younger children alone in the kitchen when you are cooking.

• Teach children not to poke sockets with anything, including fingers.

• Encourage your children to check that keys are in the correct place. Keys for windows and doors should always be kept in an accessible place so you can get out quickly in the event of a fire.

• Discuss how to call 999 and make sure children know their address. You can pin both up by the phone.

• Teach children the ‘Get out, Stay out, and Call 999!’ steps using a mobile the a neighbour’s phone. Firefighters are equipped and training so, even if someone needs to be rescued, never go back inside.