Emergency services
Children are often interested in emergency services when they see cars and trucks with lights, speeding through their neighborhood. Early childhood educators can embrace the opportunity to teach children about safety.
Emergency services help the public in times of disaster, crime or emergency. People can call an emergency service to ask for help to stay safe. The main emergency services in Australia are police, fire and ambulance.
We also have the State Emergency Service (SES) for serious damage to homes, including storms, flooding and fallen trees. Marine Rescue can be contacted via marine radio for boating emergencies.
The benefits of emergency services
The benefits of emergency services include:
- sense of security
- social awareness.
EYLF learning outcomes
Emergency services aligns with the Early Years Learning Framework as it:
- involves connecting with groups of people (2.1)
- promotes social wellbeing (3.1)
- encourages children to connect with people (4.4).
Learning opportunities
Explore types of emergency services
Children can learn about different types of emergency services:
- the ambulance service
- the fire brigade
- the police service.
Learning experiences
Identify trusted adults
Make a list of trusted adults who children can ask for help. This list will differ for each child but may include teachers, family members, friends, and emergency service workers. Trusted adults are responsible and make children feel safe and secure.