Fire Safety Lesson for South Elementary Students

visited kindergarten classes Wednesday morning to review fire safety, reminding the students that "we want Fire Safety Week (to be) every week."

Deputy Chief Bob Greenwood spoke to the excited crowd of kindergartners about how to prevent fires, and what to do if there is a fire in your home.
Many of the children raised their hands and shared their fire safety knowledge, such as "don't play with matches" and "stop, drop and roll.

Other lessons Greenwood shared included:
• “Stay low and go” – crawl to avoid breathing smoky air
• Sleep with the door closed, because it will help protect you if a fire breaks out in the middle of the night. Don’t open the door without first putting your hands on it to check for heat on the other side.
• If you are trapped in your room, don’t hide, but stay put and stay low. When a firefighter enters your room, wave your arms and yell as loudly as possible so he/she can find you.
• Go home and test your smoke detectors to ensure they are working and so you can recognize the sound they make.
• Know at least two exits from your home, and practice fire drills with your family.
• Never go back into a burning house for an item you forgot.
“You can just buy new stuff,” Greenwood told the children.
• Your family should designate one spot outside where everyone will meet after they escape the fire. They will know for sure if someone is still in the house and needs help.

To allay fears kids might have when seeing a fully suited firefighter, Victor Kurywczak put on his gear one piece at a time. “Without this, I look just like (everyone else),” he said, gesturing to Greenwood and fellow firefighters Steve Sellet and , who were in their dress blues.

Going through the exercise, Kurywczak explained what each item of equipment or clothing did, and mimed searching a house for a trapped fire victim.
Encouraging kids to play their part, Greenwood told the group of kindergartners to wave their hands and shout, “I’m over here!”

“I’m over here! I’m over here!” the children hollered as they flailed their tiny arms, clearly enjoying themselves.

After Kurywczak “found” them, the children were invited to come and see him and get a closer look at his jacket, oxygen tank, mask and hat. Some of the kids even donned the hat for a few seconds.

The students also got an outdoors tour of a fire truck, a look at a thermal imaging camera and were left squealing in amazement as they watched Greenwood climb to the very top of the truck's ladder.