Canfield Fire makes fire safety learning interactive for elementary students

Area firefighters visit schools to conduct special programs

By ROBERT CONNELLY

rconnelly@vindy.com

CANFIELD

Dozens of students cheered as a firefighter climbed an extended ladder at C.H. Campbell Elementary on Wednesday in observance of Fire Safety Week.

Cardinal Joint Fire District firefighter Dominic Netti climbed the ladder for the students, who marveled at the 75-foot ladder, and gave a wave to kids when he reached the top.

For fourth-grade student Benjamin Marenkovic, he will remember “that guy climbing the ladder – I love heights.”

The ladder walk by Netti was part of a demonstration for the kids of different tools firefighters use, such as hoses.

Benjamin also liked going through an inflatable house. That was for kids to crawl to a window to get out of a first-story home and go to a safety spot if there was a fire.

The newest addition to the education this year was a quiz show with students divided into four teams – one for each classroom – to answer questions about fire safety.

For example, a question during the kindergarten/first-grade quiz show was should a person sleep with their door open or closed. (Closed, so a fire doesn’t spread to your room.)

“We just told the schools we were doing something different, and we came up with this,” said Matt Rarick, CJFD deputy fire chief.

For the younger students in kindergarten and first grade, Netti, also an EMT with the department, put on his gear as if he were going into a fire after Rarick explained to the kids not to be scared of a firefighter in their gear during a fire.

“You never want to be afraid of us,” Rarick told the kids. “We just look different and sound different” with the gear and oxygen mask on.

C.H. Campbell principal Travis Lavery echoed Rarick’s demonstration that it’s important his students “become familiar with the firefighters – see them around – so that they know if they ever have an emergency that these people are here to help them.”

C.H. Campbell was evacuated a few weeks ago due to smoke from a rooftop unit. Lavery said days like Wednesday, where kids review fire safety tips and crawl through a blow-up house, reinforce the skills needed in a fire situation.

“The kids didn’t realize there was actually something going on unless they were in the cafeteria at” the time of that Sept. 16 evacuation, he said. “It wasn’t until after they saw the police and fire department coming that they realized maybe there is an issue going on.”

The kids were evacuated that day because an air-conditioning unit motor burned up and tripped the smoke alarm.

The program will visit Hilltop Elementary Friday.