Fire District sounds alarm
Last week was National Fire Prevention Week and the Matlacha/Pine Island Fire District conducted seminars for the students of Pine Island Elementary School as part of the department’s Public Education Program.
Students learned how to test their smoke alarms; stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire; and how to get out of their homes safely in case of fire. They learned about “bunker gear” (the protective clothing firemen wear) and that fire is not a “toy” but very dangerous.
Since 1922, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire (Oct. 9, 1871). This year the dates range from Oct. 5-11, and this year’s theme is “Smoke Alarms Save Lives: Test Yours Every Month.”
“We spent about three months planning the things we wanted to cover,” fire inspector Christi Roman said. “When we asked Principal Mazzoli how much time are you willing to give us, he said how much time do you want. Mr. Mazzoli is always very cooperative.”
“Today is our fourth day of Fire Prevention Week,” Roman said. “We started off on Monday at the school with Kindergarteners and 1st graders. Then 2nd and 3rd graders. First we show them a National Fire Prevention Association video and then we covered how smoke alarms work and how to test them. We set up a crawl station to teach the kids to crawl under smoke and how to stop, drop and roll if their clothes catch fire. We explained that fire is not a toy but very dangerous to play with and even had a firefighter dress up in bunker gear. They learned how and when to dial 911. Today, at the fire station, we have the 4th and 5th graders.”
Because the 4th and 5th graders are more mature, their seminars were given at the firehouse and were able to include a “smoke” imitation room where the students can crawl under the “smoke.”
“It isn’t actual smoke,” Roman said. “It’s more of a water vapor and completely harmless for the students. We turn off the lights and it does give them an opportunity to learn how to get out of a smoke filled house.”
At the end of the session the students were able to have a water fight. The 40 students were broken down into teams of six. Each team had an opportunity to use a fire hose to push a ball over their opponent’s line. Over a 30-minute period the Tigers, Dolphins, Potatoes, KitKat, Starfish, Jaguars and Blue Teams faced off. In the final the Dragons defeated the Tigers.
“This is a great opportunity for the students of Pine Island Elementary to learn about fire prevention,” Roman said. “We have a great time with them and I think the students have a great time also.”