Head O’ Meadow Students Receive Fire Safety Tips From The Experts

By Tanjua Damon

Stop, Drop, and Roll. And 911. Every kid knows the importance of those words and that number, especially this week, which was Fire Prevention Week.

Students spent time this week, with the help of local fire companies, refreshing their memories about the importance of fire safety and what to do if an emergency ever takes place.

Head O’ Meadow students were visited by two Dodgingtown Fire Company volunteers, Tony Cuomo and Bryan Raymond. They brought Truck 221 with them to their talk about fire safety.

Mr Raymond dressed in his fire gear to give students a sense of what a fireman looked like and to hear what kind of noise came from the mask that covers a firefighter’s face. Students were told not to be afraid of the hissing sound and to never hide from the people who are there to help them even if they do look a bit scary, Mr Cuomo said.

The Fairfield County SAFE KIDS Coalition reminds families to keep matches, lighters, and other heat sources out of children’s reach. Children are naturally curious. Playing with matches and lighters is the leading cause of fire death for children ages five and under. Remove anything too close to a fireplace, heater, or radiator, such as clothing, furniture, newspapers, or magazines. Secure all portable heaters. Avoid plugging several appliance cords into the same electrical socket. Replace old or frayed electrical wires and appliance cords, and keep them on top of rugs. Store all flammable liquids such as gasoline outside of the home. Keep furniture and other heavy objects out of the way of doors and windows.

Families are also encouraged to plan ahead to be prepared for an emergency situation if one arises. Advanced planning recommendations include buying and installing smoke alarms. Install smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every sleeping area. Consider installing both ionization alarms — better at sensing flaming fires – and photoelectric alarms, which sense slow, smoky fires. Test and maintain smoke alarms regularly. Test the alarms each month and replace batteries at least once a year. Smoke alarms should be replaced every ten years. Plan and practice two escape routes out of the house and each room. Designate an outside meeting place. Once outside the house or apartment, all members of the family should meet at a designated spot to make sure all members are accounted for quickly.

Fireman Cuomo reminded children if there is ever a fire at their house that they should touch doors before opening them to see if they are hot. If they are hot, he told the group not to use that door and find another escape route.

Mr Cuomo also told children to crawl low under smoke. He reminded the students to never go back into a burning home.