Fire Prevention Week brought important lessons in fire safety and emergency preparedness to students at Fulmar Road Elementary School and the Falls School Universal Pre-K program this week, thanks to visits from local volunteer firefighters.
At Fulmar Road, members of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department, including Farah Fieldale, Chris Gaur, Adam Savino, fire prevention education coordinator, and Jack Zencheck, talked with students about what to do in the event of a fire. Students learned the importance of having working smoke detectors, identifying a family meeting place outside the home and knowing how to call 911. They also learned to “get low and go” if they hear a fire alarm.
The visit also gave students a chance to become familiar with the people and equipment they might see during an emergency. Firefighters demonstrated their protective gear and breathing apparatus so students could see that there is a friendly helper behind the mask, then gave them a close-up look at the fire trucks and tools used to respond to emergencies.
At the Falls School, UPK students met with members of the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department, including Eric Behrendt, Walt Jackel, Bill Lindsey, Pat Martin, Kevin Neary, John Scala, John Tarr, Randy Tompkins and Arty Wisotsky, along with volunteer Gina Lindsey. Students practiced “stop, drop and roll,” learned what firefighters look and sound like in full gear and explored the department’s emergency vehicles, including the mobile fire safety house.
The lessons will continue later this month when Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department firefighters visit Lakeview Elementary and Austin Road students visit the Mahopac Falls Volunteer Fire Department, giving students throughout the district an opportunity to learn age-appropriate fire safety skills and become more comfortable with the local first responders who help protect their families and community.
“Our partnership with our local volunteer fire departments is an important part of keeping our students safe,” Superintendent Vincent DiGrandi said. “These firefighters take the time to teach our students what to do in an emergency, while also helping them understand that the person behind the mask is there to help them. We are incredibly grateful for their service to our community and for the time they invest in helping our students build these important safety skills.”
