Moapa Valley Progress
Kindergarten through 3rd grade students from Grant M. Bowler Elementary School participated in Fire Prevention day on Friday, hosted by Logandale Volunteer Fire Station 73. EMT-I Gayle DeCaria, who has coordinated the event the past several years, said this year’s event was “exceptional.”
“We have done this event for so long that we just get in and make it happen,” DeCaria said.
Altogether it took 20 station members, including friends and family, to man the event which accommodated 300 children.
“We graduated another group of third graders today,” DeCaria said wistfully and continued, “They come to us in Kindergarten and each year we work to build their confidence in calling 911 and reacting to fire and smoke alarms. We teach them to yell, ‘Fire’ as they exit the house and the first couple of years they timidly exit the house saying, ‘Yell Fire, Yell Fire’, but by the time they reach third grade they know the drill and jump out of the prop window and make every effort to be as loud as possible.”
The children were rotated through six stations and were taught skills including how to call 911, how to exit a house on fire, how to stay low and crawl, how to stop drop and roll.
The Mercy Air Helicopter was on hand and staff gave each class a briefing on how patient care is provided in the air.
The United States Forest Service brought along Smokey Bear and had a lesson on campfire safety.
Parents can help reinforce Fire Prevention Day messages by teaching children their street address, arranging a family meeting place, and involving the children when changing smoke alarm batteries this month.
