Northview Elementary School received an educational visit from the Valparaiso Fire Department on Thursday. Many members of the department drove up in their fire truck and rescue trucks, dressed in uniform to see the kids. This was a special presentation from by the fire department for the kids about fire safety. This two-day event had the fire department interacting with over 250 students.
Scott Arnold, Assistant Chief / EMS was there with his crew as they helped the kids learn these valuable lessons.
“Today were running the first through fifth graders through fire safety. We’re practicing exit drills in the homes, which is in the EDITH House, and we’re giving demonstrations to them about the equipment that we use and we’re going over the fire apparatus,” Arnold said. “We really enjoy doing this and we’re approaching fire safety month which is October, and we’re presenting to a lot of schools.”
Arnold went on to say that it was important to teach these skills to kids when they’re young so that it sticks with them throughout life.
The students got to see the fire truck and rescue trucks and they were able to get a close up view of the equipment and learn about the purpose of each piece. The firemen even took it upon themselves to make presentations in the classrooms about fire safety, what to do in case of an emergency, having meeting places, etc.
The EDITH house was at the school as well. This is a special portable unit that simulates smoke so the kids could practice procedures with fire personnel in the case of an emergency.
So the kids got to spend some time with real life super heroes and they crowded around the firemen as they spoke. They stared in unmasked curiosity at all of the nooks and crannies of each vehicle present and the equipment as it was pointed out and given a name and explanation. Their smiles shined as bright and brilliantly as the glossy red paint on the fire truck.
The teachers were just as happy as the kids. Kay Magnetti, a second grade teacher at Northview Elementary who coordinated the event with the Valpo Fire Department, watched as her students took in the knowledge that the firemen gave out.
“We are studying wild fires right now in second grade and Fire Safety week is coming up, so we thought that if we could get the EDITH House out here then we could teach the kids,” Magnetti said. “We are so grateful and impressed with the Valparaiso Fire Department. I just thought that they were going to bring the EDITH House and maybe a few firemen and instead they have brought so much more… all sorts of stuff that kids don’t normally get to do. We are so thankful that they took time out of their schedule to do this for us.”
It’s always important to be prepared, and from the aforementioned event at Northview Elementary, on generation is preparing another.