Archive: Around Town

Every year about 3,000 people are killed in home fires, and more than 200,000 end up in emergency rooms with burn injuries.  Every year during fire prevention week the Lansing Fire Department invites second graders to a fire station, and brings fire trucks and firefighters to kindergartners at their school.  A bus load of  second graders were treated to a hands-on visit to Lansing Central Fire Station last Friday, and Kindergartners got to see firefighters.

"Obviously we think it's important that kids know about fire safety and fire prevention," says Lansing Fire Chief Scott Purcell.  "The last thing we want to do is have a kid hurt or burned in the community."



Purcell and a group of volunteer firefighters took the day off of their day jobs to meet with the kids.  Kim Sweeney and Jason Berga showed them the trucks.  Kids got to go into a fire engine and see the and the equipment they carry.  Tom Dorward showed a firefighting training video, and Dan Ferguson took the kids into a bunk room to see where some firefighters live.

Ferguson talked about smoke detectors and safety plans, and made a call to the 911 center so kids could hear for themselves what questions they would be asked in an emergency.  Two firefighters in full equipment entered the room on hands and knees to show how they enter a burning building.  Kids got a chance to try on the equipment for themselves.


Later in the day the fire department took their show on the road when they visited the Lansing Kindergarten classes.

"Typically we bring two trucks, a rescue truck and an engine," Purcell says.  "The kids come out and look at it.  With the rain we'll go into the school and go over some fire prevention stuff with them.  We'll take firefighters dressed in street clothes, then they'll put on their equipment slowly so the kids can see what they look like so they're not scared when they see them.  Sometimes kids get scared when they see firefighters with the face piece on -- they look like a monster.  I've seen kids cry, but if you do everything slowly and explain what each piece of clothing is for and do it slowly, then they understand."


Teaching children what to do in case of a fire is not just a fun activity.  It is good training for real life as Blake Hunter knew when he saved his mother Meredith Sears and their home four years ago.  Hunter had attended his Kindergarten Fire Prevention Week session.  Later that month he awoke to find his kitchen on fire.  He woke up his mother and made sure she did what he had been taught by the firefighters, saving her life and their home.

Fire Prevention Week was October 4 through 10 this month.  This year was the 85th year it has been observed by fire departments across the United States.  The kids were given hats, fire prevention packets, safety brochures and comic books, pencils, and stickers to take home with them.  And the knowledge they may need if they are ever confronted with a fire.

----
v5i41