“In the event of an earthquake or fire, don’t panic first...” “If you get injured accidentally, first press on the wound, then bandage it...” Yesterday, officers from the Xi’an Fire Brigade and experienced outdoor professionals visited Yuhua Primary School to teach children about safety knowledge, and conducted live demonstrations to help them develop safety awareness and self-rescue skills.
Search and rescue dogs put on a live performance
The students let out a collective gasp
At around 10 a.m. yesterday, accompanied by cheerful music, officers from the search and rescue dog unit of the Xi’an Fire Brigade arrived on the playground with three search and rescue dogs. The dogs followed the handlers’ commands to sit, crawl, stand, and jump — they could do it all. “Wow, amazing.” Hundreds of primary school students cheered for the dogs’ impressive performances.
On-site staff placed six identical aluminum cans, and one child secretly placed a small red ball into one of the cans. At the handler’s command, the search and rescue dog immediately ran over and began inspecting the lined-up cans, quickly locating the one with the red ball. Three times in a row, the dog accurately completed the task, drawing exclamations from the students. Fire officers also explained to the children how search and rescue dogs work during disasters and what safety measures people should take.
Listen to firefighters talk
How to escape earthquakes and fires
The reporter visited a third-grade, second-class classroom where a lively safety education session for primary school students was underway. The speaker was Pu Wei, known as the first person to climb mountains in Shaanxi, who has extensive outdoor experience. “What should you pay attention to during outdoor activities? How do you treat cuts on your arms or fingers?” Pu Wei spoke vividly and even demonstrated first aid tips for treating wounds. The students were very engaged, asking all kinds of possible questions, which Pu Wei patiently answered one by one.
How to escape during earthquakes and fires is also essential content in primary school safety lessons. The firefighter giving the lecture got straight to the point: “If you’re indoors during an earthquake, you should cover your head and take shelter in a small room. Outdoors, find an open area such as a playground or park.” Fires are also common dangers in daily life. The firefighter picked up a pre-moistened towel from the table and demonstrated evacuation techniques to the children. “Be sure to remember to wet the towel, cover your mouth, crouch low, and walk — don’t take the elevator, use the stairs and evacuate quickly.”
“This kind of safety education class is very necessary”
The reporter learned that this campus safety education is part of the Xi’an project under the “Yili Ark” initiative, which aims to form a comprehensive research report on children's safety issues through a series of expert trainings, case analyses, and safety drills, and to propose localized solutions. This will help establish adaptive and sustainable models for child safety nationwide. Since its launch in Xi’an in mid-November this year, the “Yili Ark” has entered schools multiple times to deliver safety education classes.
Wang Yawei, principal of Yuhua Primary School in Xi’an, explained that their school was chosen as a site for the “Yili Ark” project mainly because it is located in the urban-rural fringe of the western suburbs. Among the school’s more than 800 students, 95% are children of migrant workers. Their parents are often busy making a living and have little time to care for them, resulting in a lack of essential self-rescue and safety knowledge among the children. Therefore, it is very necessary to provide such safety education classes.