Members of Botsford Fire Rescue spoke with Middle Gate Elementary School classes on October 11 to share fire safety tips during Fire Prevention Week, October 8 to 15.

As classes came outside to learn lessons from the firefighters, Bill McAllister ushered the students onto a tarp to learn fire safety tips to follow if there is a house fire. Mr McAllister had students practice how to crawl to a door and test, from the bottom up, using the back of their hand, to see if the door feels hot. If a door feels hot and a student suspects there is a fire in his/her house, Mr McAllister told them not to touch the door knob, as it will be hotter than the door. Students then practiced how to yell for help out of a window if they cannot exit their bedrooms during a fire.

Botsford Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Pete Blomberg helped students into a firetruck to climb through and explore. At another point during each presentation, a member of the Middle Gate faculty or staff was asked to wear firefighting gear to demonstrate it for the students.

In another area, the firefighters had a modified dollhouse set up to demonstrate how smoke spreads through a home. The back of the house was covered with a piece of plastic, and a smoke machine released smoke into the kitchen. The students watched as the smoke passed from the kitchen into the rest of the house.

As one class went to head back inside after its lessons, the students thanked the firefighters.

"You're welcome. Be safe," Mr Blomberg responded.