October 15, 2007

Department delivers fire safety message

       Last week was National Fire Prevention Week and firefighters from White River Township Fire Department spent time at all five elementary schools delivering this year's fire safety message.  Each year as part of the department's overall campaign, personnel take time to educate children in the school system about the importance of fire safety.  The department typically spends an entire day at each of the five elementary schools in the fire district speaking to grades Kindergarten thru Third Grade.  This results in talking to about 1,800 kids during the week.  During this time, firefighters also eat lunch with the students and answer many questions that both children and teachers ask.

         As part of the lesson plan, students are taught about the dangers of playing with fire, how to call 911, how to develop their own home escape plans, how to test their smoke detectors, what a firefighter looks like when they are dressed with their fire gear and air-pack, what to do if they get trapped in a building that is on fire, how to find an exit or safe way out of a building, and they also get to tour the inside of a fire truck.

         This year, “Patches”, the department's new robot dog, was taken and appeared to be a big hit for not only the children, but the teaching staff as well.  He interacts with the students and is a great additional teaching tool that firefighters use in delivering fire safety messages.

         The department  would like to thank the Center Grove School Corporation for allowing us to continue to deliver this very important life-saving message each year to all the children within the school system.
 

           

           

           
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