Gold Award: Red Can Hero: Ignite Awareness
Girl Scout Ambassador Aliya S. from Troop 31, a graduating senior from Nansemond River High School in Suffolk, Virginia, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award a girl may earn in Girl Scouts. This prestigious achievement requires participants to complete a rigorous project of at least 80 hours that addresses the root cause of a local issue and drives lasting change. In past years, Aliya has also earned the Girl Scout Bronze and Silver Awards, the highest awards for Girl Scout Juniors and Cadettes.
Aliya’s project was created to bring more awareness and education on the use of fire extinguishers in the community. During her initial project planning, she found that most schools do not teach students about fire safety and the use of fire extinguishers after elementary school. The state of Virginia only requires schools to conduct fire drills that focus on student evacuation. According to fire statistics, over 50% of untrained people who attempt to operate a fire extinguisher do so incorrectly and in a potentially dangerous manner.
In addition, she found that her school’s basic brackets and holders for extinguishers were weakly secured on walls and easily bumped by students in busy hallways. She was present at school on December 12, 2023, when one of the fire extinguishers fell off its wall mount after a student accidentally bumped it in a hallway during a class change. The fire extinguisher discharged its dry chemical powder when it hit the ground causing 70 students to experience respiratory issues. An adult and 12 students needed to be taken to the hospital for non life-threatening injuries because of the incident.
Aliya addressed this issue at her school by educating fellow students on fire safety and the safe use of fire extinguishers. She gave a lesson to students who were part of the Tourism and Hospitality class, and she also hosted a fire safety community event, Community Safety Night, for students and friends. Several safety-focused groups exhibited at the event, including a truck from Suffolk Fire Station 10.
She also took action to install 29 fire extinguisher cabinets in the school’s main hallways. Now, during classroom changes, lunches, and other busy periods of the day, the fire extinguishers are no longer a hazard in crowded halls. The school is committed to continue maintaining the installed fire extinguisher cabinets and to uphold safety practices that will continue to be introduced through instructional sessions.
“Many people have little knowledge or training on fire extinguishers,” Aliya shared. “In emergency situations, the combination of panic and limited education about fire extinguishers can be daunting and possibly cause a person to not use a fire extinguisher, which could have prevented a fire.”
With support and collaboration of the Suffolk Fire Marshals, she plans to address the Suffolk Public School Board to advocate for the installation of fire extinguisher cabinets in all Suffolk Public Schools.
After her project was completed, Aliya presented thank you gifts to Suffolk Fire and Rescue for their support, which included a handwritten note, photos, a firefighter appreciation table-top flag and items from her community safety event.
Congratulations, Aliya!
