Liberty Elementary Fire Prevention

One of the most important functions we perform is fire prevention education. Each year during October, Fire Prevention Month, we take personnel and apparatus to Liberty Elementary to teach the children about fire safety and EMS operations. It's a great opportunity for the children to learn what to do in case of a fire or other emergency. Take a look at the types of things they learn!

	Whether it sitting in the cafeteria...

...or outside on a beautiful fall morning, the children pay close attention to our volunteers as they discuss STOP, DROP & ROLL and the infamous EDITH - Exit Drills In The Home. Make sure your family has a fire safety plan and know where to meet outside the home in case of emergencies. Make sure your children know never to re-enter a burning home for mom and dad, pets, toys, etc.

	Here the kids learn about smoke detectors and how to feel their bedroom door for signs of fire in the hallway. Make sure to reinforce this so they don't open the door and let fire and smoke enter their room. Also be sure to have safe exits from their windows and teach them how to use them. Most importantly, teach them NEVER to hide beneath the bed or in a closet where it will be harder for us to find them.

WOW! Now this looks scary. At least to a five year old! That's why we dress up in our "turn out" gear and let the children see, feel and hear what a firefighter who is coming to help them will be like. We want to make sure they won't be afraid if they hear the hissing of our breathing apparatus or see our face mask. It's important to realize that a smoke filled house can render vision all but impossible. Often, we cannot see our own hands in front of our faces! So make sure your children know that if they hear or see us to yell out, hit us or just throw something to get our attention.

	To complete the introduction, we walk around and shake their hands so they get a chance to see a real firefighter close-up.

Another important lesson of the day include our introduction to EMS - Emergency Medical Services. This is a great opportunity to show the children some of the equipment we use to help sick and injured people. By doing this, it eases their fears should they suffer an unfortunate injury. We show the the backboard and neck bracing and oxygen mask since these are the most commonly used items they are likely to encounter. The older children enjoy learning about CPR and the AED - Automatic Electronic Defibrillator. Remember, CPR classes are offered at many locations in Frederick County. Consider taking a CPR class as a family event!

	No fire prevention day is complete without a tour through the apparatus. The children get a close-up view of the inside of an ambulance.

And of course the fire engine. It's hard to believe how well behaved these kids are! They really want to learn about fire safety, the equipment, and the life of fire and rescue personnel.

	During the tour, we have a chance to show some of our specialized equipment. Here, firefighter Chip shows off our inflatable air bags. These are primarily used during automobile accidents where we need to lift the vehicle carefully to extricate an injured person. The air bags can be inflated using the same air bottles we use for fire fighting.

The "Jaws of Life" otherwise known as the Amkus tool to those of us in the profession. Chip is holding the spreaders, a tool designed to pry open car doors, roofs, etc. In the compartment behind him is the cutter, a tool that can cut through hinges, posts and just about any other part of a car.



As you can see, the kids have many questions! It's a great opportunity and experience to teach our young children about fire safety and EMS operations. However, the education can only begin with us. Take the time to discuss safety with your children and make sure you have a plan in place in case of emergency. If you would like our help, see our Community Activities page for contact information.