Children learn fire safety and tour fire station

  Firefighters from Fire Station No. 5 responded to a call for education, rather than one for an emergency Friday morning.

  Two classes of kindergarten students from Desert Mesa Elementary School were given a special tour of the station as part of Fire Prevention Month.

  Capt. Lynn Wojcik spent the first half-hour of the tour talking to the children about the importance of safety in the home.

  She also spoke to them about establishing fire escape plans to get out of their homes, making sure their smoke detectors work and how to crawl out of a fire to avoid the smoke.

  "Having a fire escape plan is important because we want to see everyone standing outside waiting for us when we get there," Wojcik said.

  Kayla Holiman, a fire inspector for the city of Yuma Fire Department, said schools are required to have fire drills once a month so children know what to do in case of a fire.

  "Children know what to do at school because they practice," Holiman said. "Unfortunately it's not something they often practice at home."

  Wojcik also put a new step in the traditional “stop, drop and roll” routine recommended when your clothes are on fire.

  The new step, Wojcik told the children, is to cover your face before rolling to make sure that no dirt or debris can get into your eyes, nose or mouth. She picked four students from the group to help her demonstrate the routine.

  Wojcik then suited up in her firefighting gear to demonstrate to the students what the equipment does, and how the firefighter looks wearing it.

  "(Firefighters) look scary and sound scary when they are wearing all their gear, so this is to help familiarize them," Holiman said. "Small children are often scared and confused during fire. They can also be afraid of a firefighter wearing all their gear and hide from them during a fire. That is the last thing we want."

  According to Holiman, half the deaths that occur in fires each year could have been prevented.

  One of the students asked to see the fire station’s fire pole, to which Wojcik explained the station didn't have one because it was only a single-story building.

  Wojcik also reminded the children that fire safety awareness should not end when Fire Prevention Month does.

  After Wojcik finished speaking, the children lined up in two groups to go outside and get a look at the station's two fire engines and tour the facility.

  The bay was soon filled with "ohs and ahs" as firefighters explained all the equipment carried in the various compartments on a fire truck.

  The children were also allowed to walk through the rear cab of one of the fire trucks.

  Holiman said the YFD staff routinely gives presentations to area schools including station tours and anyone interested in scheduling a public appearance can call 373-4850.

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James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854.