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Close to 100 local kids turned up to the station to watch CFA and the library deliver a demonstration combining, fire safety, reading and music. The program is a joint initiative between the brigade and local library which aims to engage the community about the latest fire safety messages as well as encourage reading and literacy amongst kids.

Brigade fire safety officer Graham Crichton said the program has been a huge success.

“We’re in our 8^th year now and every year we have more and more kids showing up, we love the program because it gets our fire safety messages out out as well as encourages reading and literacy.”

“The kids love how fun and interactive the program is while both the brigade and the library are meeting our aims of educating the community.”

Sue Wootton the Regional Children’s Librarian said the program is all about the community working together to achieve outcomes.

“Graham and I came up with the program because we knew we had important messages to get out to the community. CFA is such a well-respected organisation for us the partnership was a natural fit.”

“While every kid may not love reading they do seem to love firefighters. Having a firefighter read to them shows them the importance of reading and that it can be an exciting, enjoyable activity,”

“It really is the perfect partnership, we all need to read and we all need to be fire safe.”

The event included a performance by Firefighter April and Captain Koala before the kids were allowed to shoot the fire hose and go inside the trucks.