Fire Safety Day at JA Wendt

Volunteers from the Wahkiakum Fire Department teamed up with Kyle Hurley's FFA program to provide a day of fire safety fun and learning at J a Wendt Elementary School Thursday, October 10th. Three stations gave interactive opportunities for students to learn about fire safety. The collaborative event was a tremendous success and is held annually to address the importance of fire safety with young people.

A stop, drop and roll station hosted by Helen Lewis and Carra Tawater gave students background on fire safety, how to use a fire extinguisher and the importance of sleeping with bedroom doors closed. These young ladies took part in a junior volunteer firefighter program and shared their knowledge dressed in full fireman's regalia. For Helen Lewis, the experience has been life-changing in her planning for a future beyond high school. "Personally, being a firefighter is one of my career ideas, but volunteering with the fire department has led me to know what I want to do after high school."

Lewis and Tawater participate in the cadet program facilitated by the Cathlamet Fire Department. The cadet program is a volunteer program that allows students to use the community service hours they have worked toward their high school graduation requirements need to graduate. Helen Lewis serves as the Wahkiakum FFA President for the second year and is enrolled in multiple courses in the ag education program allowing her to develop leadership skills and share her experiences from the cadet fire department program.

The second station was a firsthand opportunity for students to crawl through a smoke simulation tunnel. Volunteer firefighter, Josh Miller, along with FFA members explained the importance of navigating a smokey environment and helped students learn about crawling through a small, dark space in a makeshift plastic tunnel with fake smoke. Students crawled on their hands and knees and learned about how smoke rises, and fresh air exists on the floor. Students loved the opportunity to crawl through the tunnel independently, then with a friend.

Lastly, a fire engine and ambulance were on display, offering an exciting end to the student's station rotation. Students got to climb into both emergency vehicles and see what the inside looked like. Firefighters and ambulance crew members were there to bring familiarity to the objects typically just seen during an emergency to help bring comfort to students if they do see them in an emergency. Seeing the insides, sitting on the seats, and asking questions were all important to build a positive connection of experiences as students learned about the important roles of the fire department and ambulance crew.

This annual event is one students and staff look forward to and a depth of gratitude goes out to the emergency personnel that volunteered, as well as the Wahkiakum FFA students for partnering with the local agencies. National Fire Safety Month is celebrated each October, with Oct. 6th-12th being national fire prevention week. Schools across the country were celebrating with collaborative activities such as the one J a Wendt hosted. The theme this year is "Smoke alarms: Make them work for you!" Let this serve as a reminder to check yours today. Additional resources can be found on the National Fire Protection Association website: http://www.nfpa.org and free resources for children can be found at http://www.sparkyschoolhouse.org.