Struthers firefighters talk to schoolkids for National Fire Prevention Week

STRUTHERS

“What if” was the question of the morning among Struthers Elementary School students after the Struthers Fire Department presented a fire safety video Tuesday.

“What if I have to use the bathroom when the smoke alarm goes off?”

“What if my mom is gone during a fire?”

“What if a volcano goes off, what do you do?”

Brian Stellato, Struthers fire engineer, said he kept his patience as dozens of students fired hypothetical questions at him.

“I’ve got kids this age, so I’m used to the out-there things they ask sometimes,” Stellato said.

Fire safety and prevention will be on the minds of students this week as many school districts take part in National Fire Prevention week. Struthers students between kindergarten and fifth grade will all attend fire safety presentations this week; third grade students will tour the fire department later this month.

Struthers Fire Chief Gary Mudryk said schools across the U.S. and Canada have participated in National Fire Prevention week since the 1920s. He said fire prevention week always takes place the week of Oct. 9 to commemorate the anniversary of the 1871 Chicago Fire.

Read more about the commemoration in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.