Firefighters Intrigue, Inform Young Students
Blinding white smoke, children and giggles filled the upstairs bedroom of the Children’s Fire Safety House.
“How come you’re laughing?” asked Kevin Uphus, a lieutenant with the Spokane Valley Fire District.
The Adams Elementary third-graders were supposed to be pretending to be asleep, but couldn’t resist a few snickers.
“Because it’s funny,” they answered in unison.
Though the non-toxic smoke was only part of a fire drill used during a fire safety program at the school on Wednesday, the subject was serious.
“Any time you can show some hands-on stuff, it’s important,” Uphus said. “It’s just another tool.”
Teachers were sent a packet of information and two videos to share with their third-grade students before the fire safety house came to the school. The curriculum targets third-grade students because, in past years, they have gotten the most out the program, said Paul Chase, fire marshal for Valley Fire.
“The younger kids think it’s cool, but they don’t understand,” Chase said. “And the older kids think they are too old for it.”
Firefighters visited half of the Valley schools during the last two weeks and will give their presentation to the remaining schools next spring.
On Wednesday, students toured the kid-sized house built inside of a 28-foot trailer and identified fire hazards such as a missing fireplace screen, a lighter left on the floor and a pillow leaning against a baseboard heater.
Students also pointed out fire extinguishers, an overhead sprinkler system and smoke detectors.
“These smoke detectors are the most important things in your house,” Uphus said. “You know why? Because it’s the thing that’s going to wake you up at night if there’s a fire in your house. They’re sniffing all the time.”
Uphus also talked about maintaining a smoke detector and testing its batteries. Several sets of small hands covered ears as the alarm let out a quick, loud shriek.
“That’s an ugly noise, isn’t it?” Uphus said. “It’s supposed to be so it wakes you up.”
The test turned out to be a timely one. Moments later, smoke filled the room and billowed from the trailer.
As the smoke detector in the bedroom screamed again, the giggles slowed. It was time to find a way out.
“We have to feel the door in case it’s hot,” Kayla Heuett reminded her classmates. “It might burn us.”
Josh Wallgren was assigned the task.
“How’s it feel?” Uphus asked.
“Hot!” the 8-year-old said.
The giggles were gone.
“Okay, we’ve got to go out the window,” Uphus directed. “Get down real low.”
The children complied, dropping to their hands and knees as they filed out of the bedroom window, onto the balcony and down the ladder.
Safely out of the fire, they gathered at the shiny, red firetruck parked next to the trailer to await their turn behind the wheel.
“It’s not like the real thing,” Uphus said. “But they still get the effect that if you stay down lower you can see better.”
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