Vaughan firefighters, drama students create fire safety video for teens
Fire Safety Keeps You Cool targets teens.

YorkRegion.com
May 2, 2017
Adam Martin-Robbins

Vaughan’s fire department has joined forces with a group of high school drama students to try to drive home the importance of fire safety to teenagers.

A group of Grade 12 students from Tommy Douglas Secondary School in Maple, with help from Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service, created a three-minute video highlighting fire hazards teenagers may encounter and offering advice about the best way to respond.

The video, dubbed Fire Safety Keeps You Cool, was officially launched on YouTube May 1, following a ceremony at the school.

It was inspired by recommendations of a 2016 coroner’s inquest into a 2012 house fire in Whitby that killed three teens, including increasing the promotion of fire safety education among young people.

“The driver for this project was the inquest held in Durham after the death of three young people. Their activity was not much different than the activity depicted in the video,” said Vaughan Fire Chief Larry Bentley, who presented the students with certificates of appreciation Monday evening. “As the school year starts to wind down, a lot of you and your friends will prepare for post-secondary opportunities and education that may include moving away from home. There will be parties. There will be risky behaviour. Please, pledge to be fire safe.”