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Boardman students learn fire-safety tips
BOARDMAN
The sound of an alarm blared through the trailer.
Smoke poured out of an open window.
Children hoisted themselves through the window, into the open arms of a firefighter on the ground below.
It was perhaps the only circumstance in which those actions could elicit smiles and laughter: the exercise was part of Fire Prevention Week, which brings the Boardman Fire Department to the community’s elementary schools.
Firefighters were at Robinwood Lane Elementary on Wednesday, where first-grade students visited the fire-safety trailer and got to examine a firetruck up close. The fire department previously visited Market Street Elementary and also will go to St. Charles School and West Boulevard Elementary.
“I’ve been doing this job for 15 years, and in that time, I’ve heard of at least four instances” when the training has helped save lives, said Boardman fire investigator Lt. Jim McCreary, who was part of the fire-safety team.
The kids “love it. They love coming out here. The siblings who have already gone through it seem to prime the younger ones,” he said.
That certainly seemed to be the case at Robinwood Lane, where first-graders eagerly participated in the activities.
Lt. Will Ferrando patiently gave them fire-safety tips as they excitedly interrupted with questions, answers and stories about fire-safety in their own homes.
Students gathered in one part of the trailer that is set up like a kitchen, where Ferrando taught them how to safely use the stove – keep handles from pots and pans turned toward the back of it – and what to do if their house fills up with smoke.
“If you have a fire in your house, you’re going to go to your meeting place with your mom and dad to make sure everyone is safe,” he said, adding that they then should call 911 and stay away from the house.
“We can replace your toys, but we can’t replace you guys,” he said.
Students then gathered in a makeshift bedroom, where they learned that if smoke starts pouring in, they should crawl to the floor and touch their door to see if it’s safe to exit. Those on the first floor should exit through a window if the fire is outside their door; on higher floors, stand at the window and call for help, Ferrando said.
Children got to experience the scenario firsthand, as the trailer door grew warm and fog began to fill the room. Outside the trailer, McCreary helped students climb down to safety.
One goal of the program, McCreary said, is that students will go home and share what they learned with their parents, especially in homes where a working smoke detector is not installed.
Township residents in need of a smoke detector can call the fire department to get one free of charge.