William O. Schaefer Elementary School

Earlier today, members of the Blauvelt, Orangeburg, Tappan and Sparkill-Palisades fire departments teamed up to teach our elementary school students about fire safety.

The visits to William O. Schaefer Elementary School and Cottage Lane Elementary School are an annual National Fire Prevention Week tradition. The theme of this year’s national campaign is “Look. Listen. Learn. Be aware. Fire can happen anywhere.” Students were given practical tips about steering clear of matches and ovens, keeping electrical devices away from water and practicing their family fire emergency plans. “We want you to get out,” the firefighters advised. “We’ll go back to look for your pets.”

“We do this just out of the love of getting information out to children,” said Tappan Fire Department Chief Mike Holihan, who suggests that families reach out to their local fire departments if they need help with creating a fire emergency plan. Chief Holihan emphasized that every household have a working smoke alarm.

The Rockland County Health Department’s Healthy Neighborhood Program can provide and install free smoke alarms to eligible residents (including low-to-modest income residents, at-risk families, and seniors). A brief home survey is required at the time of the visit. For more information, call the Healthy Neighborhood Program at (845) 364-3290 or (845) 364-3292.

All five of our local fire departments are recruiting volunteers, ages 16 and up! Interested? Please contact your local fire department.

For photos, see the district Facebook post.

Firefighters speak to WOS students on Fire Prevention Day

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