I thank God for St. Anthony, my school, which embraces a wide range of clubs to accommodate all our interests as children. We have several clubs including Music and Dance, Games and Sports, Debating, Writers, Scouts & Guides, to mention but a few.

I am a member of the Scouting club, and I am so happy with it.

On Saturday, 11th March 2023 the Uganda Scouts Association organized a Fire Prevention and Management session at the Fire Brigade Headquarters in Kampala. Mr. Waisswa Saddam, the Scouts & Guides Patron, encouraged all the scouts and guides in the school to attend the session such that we are well equipped with fire prevention and management skills which can be applied in case of an emergency of fire outbreak. These firefighting skills would be helpful throughout our lives.

When Mr. Saddam informed us that the session required us to move out of the school, I became so excited. I ensured that I had to go, come rain, come shine. I contacted my parents who sent me that day’s upkeep of UGX 50,000/=.

I was sleepless during the night leading to Saturday 11th March 2023. They were all imaginations how it could be for me if we reached the scene where the session was going to be held. By morning, the matron did not need to wake me up because I was already awake. I rushed to the washroom to take a bath and then got smartly dressed in my full combat for the scouts. This was the day that I laid my bed without being reminded since I never wanted to be called back to the dormitory. After taking our breakfast, we boarded the school buses at exactly 8:00a.m. As we were boarding, the bus drivers who included Uncle Herbert, Gerald, Augustine, John, and some teachers were packing our foodstuffs in lunch boxes. The lunch included rice, meat, chicken, fruit, soda, and water.

We arrived at the Fire Brigade Headquarters at 9:30a.m due to heavy traffic on Entebbe Road. From our school, we were two hundred scouts who joined the thousands of scouts from different schools. We were received by the District Scouts Commissioner Mr. Tenywa Xerxes who led us to the assembly ground from where the drills were carried out.

At exactly 10:30 am Officer Okobo took us through the session of fire prevention, after which Officer Adraman came and taught us the ways a fire can be managed. I loved this session so much because all along I could imagine what happens and what is done in case there is a fire outbreak. To my surprise, very simple cautions can be taken to put off the fire. We were taught that in case there is a fire emergency, one can use sand or water to put off minor fire outbreaks minus calling the fire brigade of which everyone can afford to have. For companies and modern homes, fire extinguishers are used on simple fires.

On major fire outbreak, we were advised to contact the fire brigade on a toll-free number 0800121222.

After taking us through the session orally, we then switched to the practical. This was the most interesting part where I touched the fire extinguisher to put off the fire which was set for me when one of the police officers put fuel on water in a trough. When I was selected to show the rest, I felt so proud and indeed I did it perfectly. In the same session, we saw how fire vehicles can be used to put off fires.

Amidst a lot of excitement, I thought of the dangers of a fire outbreak and the most disgusting thing is the loss of people’s lives. It was a fire outbreak that the lives of our innocent brothers and sisters from schools like Budo Junior in 2018.

I call upon all Ugandans to be vigilant with fire. Though, it is a good servant but a bad master. Let’s join hands to put a stop to fire outbreaks in our communities.

Kalema Jonathan
Primary Six Central, 2023