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Firesafe House provides students real-life scenarios

Jeffrey Alderton Cumberland Times-News

CUMBERLAND — Elementary school students in Allegany and Garrett counties are benefitting from fire safety instructions that are provided annually by Cumberland Fire Fighters Local 1715.

The firefighters, who are members of the Cumberland Fire Department, provide the potentially lifesaving training at no cost to city taxpayers or to Allegany and Garrett county schools.

In fact, a few years ago, a school principal in Allegany County told Local 1715 president Chuck Koelker of an experience that showed the value of the training.

“He said that within a few days of our training his students that a fire had occurred in a home of one of the students and that the student had awakened the whole family and they got out safely. He said the father of the child came to the school to thank him for whatever the school had done to help their child respond in that way to their fire incident,” said Koelker.

The instructional training for third-grade students is provided through the Firesafe House, a mobile training unit.

“The unit is a three-room trailer in which we can show the students various hazards that are in the average home. Most are fire-related, however, we do incorporate some just plain safety issues. The three rooms represent the kitchen, living room/family room and the bedroom.

“The students can actually see some of the hazards in a controlled atmosphere where there is no real danger. We have heated doors for them to check to see if they should open or find another means of egress from the room. The bedroom can be filled with artificial smoke, actually a fog machine, to demonstrate how smoke looks and acts,” said Koelker.

An estimated 800 students go through the Firesafe House annually.

“We distribute activity books, which Local 1715 purchases, to each student and teacher,” said Koelker.

Although several of the volunteer fire departments assist by bringing fire apparatus to the schools the days we are there, we try to schedule so as to be finished before Fire Prevention Week each year.

“That allows for those departments to do there own presentations at their schools, without our interference. Most do a broader program covering more grades. While doing the city schools, the Cumberland Fire Department details an engine crew and often an ambulance to assist,” said Koelker.

National Fire Prevention Week is being observed Oct. 9-15 with the theme “Protect Your Family from Fire.”

Contact Jeffrey Alderton at jlalderton@times-news.com.

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