Photo By Senior Airman John Day | Children enjoy roasting s’mores at the fire station Oct. 9, 2016, during Fire...... read more read more
Team BLAZE began Fire Prevention Week with an open house and parade Oct. 8 at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Fire Prevention Week was started in observance of the great Chicago fire of 1871. Despite lasting only two days, the fire killed more than 250 people, left 100,000 homeless, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres.
To raise awareness of the dangers of fire, the National Fire Protection Association decided to dedicate a week for people to be educated on fire safety nationwide. Fire Prevention Week is the longest running Public Health and Safety Observance on record.
“Don’t wait, check the date!” is the theme for 2016’s Fire Prevention Week. This statement is a reminder to check smoke alarms monthly and to be educated on how they work.
“Fire safety is very important to us as firefighters,” said William O’Meara, 14th Civil Engineer Squadron, Fire Inspector. “We try to reach from the younger to the older kids, trying to teach them how to be safe. A lot of what we cover is the basics, ‘don’t play with matches’ or ‘stop, drop and roll.’”
The 14th Flying Training Wing celebrated Fire Prevention Week with various on- and off-base activities.
To kick the week off, Columbus AFB and local community firetrucks paraded through base housing, showering children with candy. After that, firefighters hosted an open house to show off their capabilities at the McAllister Fire Station.
“I got to supervise the Fire Safety House,” said Airman 1st Class Deangelo Wallman-Sims, 14th CES Firefighter. “It is important that kids understand how to escape a burning building at a young age. That is something they will carry until they have children of their own so they can teach it to them.”
Children played in fire house themed bounce houses, bowled with firehoses and went through a smoke trailer to teach them how to escape a burning building. Firefighters put out a fire on the aircraft fire trainer and showed how they perform a vehicle extrication.
Other events throughout the week included a community s’mores roasting and movie, Sparky the Firedog’s 94th birthday party, visits to the Child Development Center and Youth Center, a trip to Caledonia Elementary School and daily fire safety displays at the Exchange.
“My favorite part of Fire Prevention Week was teaching Caledonia Elementary School kids about home evacuation plans, smoke detectors and the basics of an emergency,” said Senior Airman William Farr, 14th CES Firefighter. “The kids were so appreciative and genuinely interested about everything we had to offer them.”
The last event scheduled to occur is a lock-in at the fire station. Children ages 10-14 can spend the night at the McAllister Fire Station, learn about fire safety, participate in hands-on demonstrations, ride in the firetrucks and enjoy a pizza dinner and pancake breakfast 6 p.m. Oct. 14 – 15.
Team BLAZE’s firehouse participated in Fire Prevention Week to promote all they do and did so in an informative way according to Wallman-Sims.
“Fire safety begins with the basics,” Wallman-Sims said. “We want everyone to know and learn the basics, but leave the firefighting to the firefighters.”
| Date Taken: | 10.08.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.10.2017 10:52 |
| Story ID: | 219861 |
| Location: | COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI, US |
| Web Views: | 29 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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