By Andrea Holata

BRIGHTON — To tie in with Fire Safety Week and to inform students about the importance of fire safety, staff from the Tribe’s Fire Rescue Department educated students in kindergarten through second grade at Pemayetv Emahakv Charter School on Oct. 10.

“The theme for Fire Prevention Week this year is having two ways out of your home,” said Fire marshall Bob Brown. “It’s important because of life safety. Fires that occur in the home usually occur at night, and they have a very short time of getting out of the house to get to safety before smoke makes it difficult or even impossible.”

Students gathered in three groups and learned how to stay safe during a fire. They learned how to use a fire extinguisher; how to “stop, drop and roll;” and how to stay low during a fire, as well as the importance of having a meeting place.

Students practiced using the fire extinguisher by following the acronym PASS, which stands for Pull, Aim, Squeeze and Sweep.

After using the fire extinguishers, students had the opportunity to see the different equipment firefighters use on the fire truck, including the Jaws of Life, fire extinguishers and sirens. Fire Rescue staff also showed students the firefighters’ gear so they would not be afraid of Fire Rescue workers.

Firefighters also built a room that replicated a house filled with smoke. Students practiced crawling low under the smoke and learned to have a meeting place outside their homes.

During the last fire safety demonstration, students watched a puppet show demonstration that reinforced “stop, drop, and roll,” a technique that should be used if clothes catch on fire. Afterward, students practiced rolling out the fire.
For fun, students used the fire hose to knock down a water bottle.