A team of deaf schoolchildren from two Newcastle schools have taught local firefighters "lifesaving" sign language skills so that they can communicate with deaf or hearing impaired people in emergency situations.
The pupils - from Broadwood Primary and Jesmond Park Academy - produced an interactive video and a fact sheet highlighting 20 vital words and phrases for firefighters to learn in case they ever attend a house fire where someone may be deaf. The words include "where is the fire?", "stay calm", "stop" and "are you hurt?".
The youngsters - aged between four and 12 - have been inspired by the "people who help us" topic they have been studying at school. Each primary school has a HIARP unit, which stands for Hearing Impairment Additionally Resourced Provision.
