Safe Baby-Sitting Program

The Marquette City Fire Department has developed a program with area junior high teachers to instruct young baby-sitters. All sixth grade students who attend Bothwell, and Father Marquette Middle Schools, receive classroom training on how to be a safe and reliable baby-sitter. The program, called "Safe Baby-Sitting", teaches basic in home safety lessons as well as first aid training for minor injuries and emergencies.

Fire department personnel, working closely with teachers, have molded "Safe Baby-Sitting" into a program that has received grants and awards for its successes in preparing kids for the responsibility of baby-sitting. After the program is taught by ..fire fighters, the teachers reinforce the ..lessons with quizzes, tests, and exercises. ..Certificates are given to students who ..complete the course.

..Within the City of Marquette, the program ..has already paid dividends. A young girl, ..who had attended the course a year earlier, had a kitchen fire inside a home in which she was baby-sitting. She followed the instructions she had received in the Safe Baby-Sitting class, and was able to get herself and the three children she was watching out of the house safely. She then called 911 from a neighbor’s home. Her quick actions not only saved the children she was entrusted to care for, but also limited the damage to only one room of the home.

It is the opinion of the Marquette City Fire Department that the "Safe Baby-sitting" program has a direct impact on the lives of the youth of our community, and it is an honor to present it.

Jeff Green conducts a question and answer period
at Bothwell Middle School,
handing out sun glasses as a reward for good participation.

This write-on Baby-sitter's Helper board was handed out. It should be filled out prior to the baby-sitting job.

Another hand out was this sliding ruler full of information for all baby-sitters.