Stop! Drop! Roll!

The past several Tuesday evenings, I have been taking Lily and Zachary to a Story Time group for their ages at our public library. A few weeks ago, they had a special program about firemen and fire safety. Captain S******, the guest fireman, did an excellent job with the children, but even the parents learned a thing, or two. One of the great parts of the program was when he dressed in full gear, including mask and air tank, drug a hose behind him, and crawled across the floor toward the children. As he did this, breathing from his tank and talking through his mask (sounding a bit like Darth Vader), he stressed to the children, that if they were ever trapped in a burning house, this is what a fireman looks and sounds like, and for them not to be afraid and not to hide. I had been with the kids to a few other fire safety programs, but I have never seen a fireman communicate like this with the kids. I could see how it could be frightening to a child, so the fact that he showed them that it is nothing to fear could possibly save a life someday. Kudos, Captain S******! Here are a few things I learned from the evening:

• Every home should have an escape plan and a meeting place! (Actually, I already knew this. In fact, we had to type it all up for our adoption home study. But, we really need to drill it more so everyone knows it. Thanks for the reminder!)
• It is a good idea for everyone to have a flashlight beside their bed. It can help navigate through smoke and darkness, but also, it can be used to direct firefighters to your location if you are trapped inside.
• CO2 detectors have a lifespan. They have a sensor inside that wears out eventually. They should have a date after which you should replace them. (I usually think these dates on products are gimmicks to sell more products, but this one makes sense to me)

You could tell from the evening that Captain S****** enjoyed the children and loves his job. Thank you to our public servants who protect us, and to those like Captain S****** who give a little extra of themselves! Here are pictures that Miss Chrissy, our children's librarian, took of Zachary and Lily.