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Poland schools celebrate Fire Safety Week
By SARAH FOOR
A large red fire truck spent Oct. 10-14 parked in the lots of the various Poland schools as township firefighters taught students about fire safety.
At Dobbins Elementary, fire safety officer Bill O’Hara loaned the school a fire-truck reading zone, where students could sit in their Dobbins library and read books on fire safety and the jobs of firefighters.
“The miniature fire truck visits every year and offers great information to students. It definitely gets them excited about learning the best ways to stay safe,” shared Dobbins librarian Lois Dunnavant.
Representatives from the fire department also visited the elementary schools to teach each grade level about smoke detectors, how to stop, drop, and roll, and the tools that firefighters carry on their fire trucks.
On Oct. 13, Poland firefighters visited Union first-graders to share life-saving tips.
Bill O’Hara told the students that fire isn’t the entire focus of a firefighter’s job.
“If we ever have to come to your house for a fire, we will always look for you and your family first. Making sure that everyone is safe is the most important, and then we put out the fire,” he explained.
At a Oct. 12 visit to Dobbins, the firemen shared safety tips and also introduced school custodian Howard Hallas, who is a volunteer firefighter for the township.
“I hope we taught you that firefighters are your friends and always there to help you,” O’Hara told the students at Dobbins.