On Tuesday we had a visit from the Blauvelt, Orangeburg, and Tappan fire departments. We went outside and went to the first fire truck from the Blauvelt Fire Department. There were three firefighters. They talked to us about fire safety. We learned to stop, drop, and roll if there is ever a fire on us. The firefighters told us not to be afraid if we see or hear them. When they have their gear on, they sound a little bit like Darth Vader. They wear oxygen tanks on their backs that help them to breath for up to 30 minutes. It is important to stay close to the ground because that's where the cleanest air would be. We also learned that people should stay close to the walls and make lots of noise and scream for help to make it easier for the firefighters to find us.
We got an important assignment from the firefighters: go home and check the smoke detectors and make sure that they are working properly!
At the second fire station, there was a fire truck from the Orangeburg Fire Department that had very long ladder that reached all the way to the top of the school's roof. The fire truck has big feet that help keep it in place when the ladder is used. The firefighters spoke to us about some of the tools that they use to help people. We saw things like an ax, a fire extinguisher, a saw, and other tools that help firefighters get into our homes and fight the fires.
Our final stop was to the Tappan Fire Department's truck. There, we saw even more kinds of equipment that firefighters would use to help people get out of cars and houses. One was a saw that is used to cut a square in the roof of a house. The open square lets some of the heat and smoke out of the house and helps the firefighters get people to safety and put out the fire quicker. Another was a cutting tool that can be used on fences and doors. We also saw two big air bags that are used to lift heavy equipment (like cars).
After that, it was time to head back in.
When we got back to the classroom, we reviewed what we had learned and began to write about important facts about fire safety that we wanted to teach others about. Everyone could choose whether they wanted to work independently or with a partner. Click on the Fire Safety Facts book cover to see what we said:
