Rushcreek Fire & EMS volunteer, Mike Overturf have been providing fire safety education to Benjamin Logan Elementary students for 28 years. Duane VanBuskirk, Danny Foulk, Jeremy Brisson, and Shannon Stineman also volunteered to help cover the fire safety topics.
During fire safety week the preschool, Kindergarten, and 1st-grade students had the chance to interact and become comfortable with firefighters in full gear to alleviate any fears and to help prevent them from hiding during an emergency.
The firefighters let the students know they are there to help keep them safe. Some of the fire safety topics covered during the visit included:
- Not to breathe in smoke
- Crawl low and stay under the smoke and go to your meeting place
- Knowing what a smoke alarm sounds like
- When a smoke alarm sounds, get out and stay out
- Check the door with the back of your hand, don’t touch it if hot
- Go to a window and if you can, get out of the window safely
- Have a meeting area outside of your house that everyone in the house knows about
- If you cannot get out of your window safely, stay low on the floor right by your window, and don’t hide
The firefighters encouraged the students to identify possible fire hazards in their homes that may be dangerous. They also showed the students a smoke detector and Mr. Overturf gave the students a homework assignment to go home and talk with mom and dad to make sure that every floor of the house has a smoke detector. Once they find the detectors, they need to find the little button on the bottom or the side to test it to make sure that they work. Mr. Overturf also told them to change their smoke detector batteries twice a year.
