Learn to escape danger, act to stay safe.

"Learn to protect yourself before waiting for someone to save you" - this is not only a slogan that resounds before every fire safety and rescue awareness campaign organized by the Fire Prevention, Firefighting and Rescue Police Department (Provincial Police) at schools, but also a new awareness among students about essential survival skills.

Báo Thái Nguyên•25/06/2025

During a fire prevention, firefighting, and rescue awareness campaign spanning numerous schools across the province, thousands of students gained practical knowledge to protect themselves in emergency situations. This is also a journey to bring safety knowledge to children and adolescents, who are vulnerable to fire and explosion accidents.

According to the program's script, students will be educated on fire prevention and rescue, and drowning prevention; they will also practice skills such as using fire extinguishers, escaping using ladders, rappelling, or jumping from high floors onto inflatable cushions.

At Tuc Tranh High School, despite lasting only one morning, the program attracted over 500 students who gathered in the schoolyard with great enthusiasm. Before the practical session, the students listened to presentations about common fire and explosion situations in school and home life – from charging phones overnight and cooking with gas stoves to handling situations involving electric shocks.

The atmosphere was anything but stiff – many children enthusiastically raised their hands to answer the police officer's questions, such as: "What should you do first when you see a gas cylinder leaking?"; "What would you do if your clothes caught fire?"; "Why shouldn't you open the window when there's smoke in the room?"; "What should you do if you find a friend drowning?"…

The questions, though seemingly simple, stimulated critical thinking and honed practical reflexes. Many students also boldly shared their real-life experiences at home, contributing to making the presentation lively and relevant.

Several realistic simulated scenarios were presented, such as a fire breaking out in a laboratory, smoke spreading rapidly through the hallway, or a fire erupting from the school cafeteria. Students were meticulously instructed on each step of escaping, including: informing classmates about the fire; crouching low, covering themselves with a wet towel, and following the escape route; and assisting victims.

Afterward, students from grades 10, 11, and 12 were divided into groups and took turns experiencing escape by using elevators, rappelling, pulling ladders down from high floors, and escaping by jumping onto inflatable mattresses…

The children also had the opportunity to observe simulated fires and practice extinguishing them using foam and CO₂ extinguishers. All activities were conducted under the dedicated guidance and supervision of officers and soldiers from the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police.

The lively atmosphere continued at Phu Binh High School. Under the scorching afternoon sun, students were divided into groups to experience simulated scenarios: crossing artificial smoke zones, rappelling from balconies, and using lifting platforms. Many groups also practiced first aid for smoke inhalation and bandaging wounds.

At Phan Me 1 Junior High School – where the majority of students are from rural areas with limited access to information – awareness campaigns become even more necessary.

As someone who closely follows many propaganda programs, Captain Phi Van Chung, an officer of the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (Provincial Police), believes that previously, programs that only used oral presentations or documents were not very appealing to students. Only when practical situational exercises were introduced did the students truly take the initiative to receive knowledge.

Allowing children to experience specialized equipment such as rope ladders, air mattresses, and fire extinguishers also helps to eliminate fear, thereby increasing their ability to react in real-life situations.

According to information from the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department, a new feature in recent years' awareness campaigns is the expansion of practical training activities to rural and mountainous areas, not just limited to urban areas. These areas, although not densely populated, always pose a potential risk of fire and explosions due to the intermingling of residential and production facilities. Therefore, improving escape skills for students and children has become even more urgent.

In addition to awareness campaigns, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department also collaborates with schools to develop escape manuals and strengthen fire prevention and control systems in schools. Some schools have even proposed incorporating fire prevention and control skills into regular physical education classes. This is an effort to make this content a part of a long-term education program, rather than just organizing it as a standalone event.

Not only does this awareness campaign help students respond better to emergencies, but it also helps teachers and school staff become more aware of fire prevention. Many teachers and school staff expressed that they used to think only firefighters needed to learn about firefighting and rescue. But after the awareness campaign and practical training, they understood that everyone needs skills to respond to disasters that can happen at any time.

Many teachers believe that fire safety skills can be integrated into outdoor lessons, teaching students how to handle simulated situations such as a stage fire at a school festival or an electrical short circuit in the gym, rather than "waiting for things to happen before teaching them how to react."

Representatives from the Department of Education and Training also highly appreciated the collaborative model between the Provincial Police and schools. According to the plan, in the 2025-2026 school year, the entire province will organize at least 50 fire prevention and rescue awareness and training sessions in schools, with particular priority given to rural and mountainous areas.

Furthermore, some schools have proposed integrating escape skills into extracurricular activities and encouraging the formation of emergency response teams comprising students, teachers, and parents. In addition, schools have requested the early installation of fire alarm systems and adequate fire extinguishers in classrooms, cafeterias, and libraries.

Each awareness campaign and practical session ended in a joyful atmosphere. More importantly, these practical experiences will help students remember the information for a long time and apply it to real-life situations anytime. As shared by Nguyen Thi Van, a student in class 12A3 at Tuc Tranh High School: "Next time if there's a real fire, I'll know what to do. I won't be scared anymore."

That is also the biggest goal of this program: to help each student become someone capable of protecting themselves and assisting others in danger. Because learning skills is not just for exams, but also for... survival.