Reed Students Host Firefighters During

Fire Prevention Month

By Eliza Hallabeck

Reed Intermediate School fifth grade students in Jacqueline McMahon and Karen King’s cluster sat ready, with prepared questions in hand, for visiting Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company and Newtown Hook & Ladder Company firefighters to arrive for the cluster’s annual event to observe September as Fire Prevention Month.

The first student to raise his hand asked what the job of a firefighter includes.

“It all depends if you are a regular firefighter or you’re an engineer, the guy who is in charge of the truck and usually drives the truck,” said Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Engineer Tim Whelan.

When a call is received, Mr Whelan explained, firefighters report to the firehouse, where they load into the truck. Once on scene with the truck, Mr Whelan continued, usually a fire chief or another officer is on scene to “size up the situation” and tell the reporting firefighters whether there is a fire or not.

The seven visiting firefighters also explained what it is like when they receive a call regarding a fire. Mr Whelan held up a pager and turned it on for the students to listen as a call went out.

Later, in response to another question, Sandy Hook EMS Captain Karin Halstead said firefighters also take classes, attend exercises, read books, and have drills twice a month to keep up with the certification needed to do what they do.

“You keep training, training, and training,” said Ms Halstead.

This year’s visit to Reed School happened just two days short of the tenth anniversary of terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Some of the students’ questions pertained to that day; one student who asked, “What was it like when the Twin Towers fell?”

Brian Slattery, the first assistant engineer for Newtown Hook & Ladder, said he was in high school at the time, and remembers everyone talking about the incident. The day was spent watching the news.

Ms Halstead said she was at work on that day, and found out later that a friend, a fellow firefighter, had died that day.

Students also asked what inspired the firefighters to do what they do, and what it feels like to be a hero and save lives.

Most listed family as a reason behind becoming a firefighter. Ms Halstead said growing up, all she knew was the firehouse. Ms Halstead’s father is William Halstead, who has been a member of Sandy Hook Fire & Rescue since 1965 and has served as its chief since 1978. He is also the town’s fire marshal.

“I don’t think any of us consider ourselves heroes,” said Ms Halstead. “We just love to do it.”

When asked whether fires can be scary, Mr Slattery said all fires are scary because they are all different.

“You just have to remember what you have been taught and trained,” he said, “and do the best you can.”

Ms Halstead also emphasized the importance of staying close to a partner in a fire.

After the students asked their questions the visitors were treated to a speech, poem, and singing by the students. Refreshments were also served, and the students were eventually brought outside to see fire trucks from each of the companies.

“You truly are a hero, and will be there whenever we need you,” said fifth grader Alex Toth in a speech she wrote for the visiting firefighters.