Children and adults flocked to the fairgrounds Thursday night to learn more about fire prevention and public safety in general.
People stood in line for free hot dogs, beverages, popcorn and cakes before the Fire Prevention Week extravaganza was scheduled to begin, and an audience had settled in for the first performance of the Emporia High School Educational Theatre group, which presented a fire-prevention skit intermittently throughout the two-hour event.
“They put on a good show,” Fire Marshal Tom Andrews during the evening. “There’s a lot of people watching them this year.”
The skit was one of many offerings at the event that entertained and educated simultaneously.
Across the building from the EHS group, police dispatch supervisor Krystee Pearson and a group of her dispatchers had set up a 911 simulator to let youngsters experience what would happen if they needed to dial 911.
“We just go through (the process), talk to them so they’ll know what to expect,” said dispatcher Dana Newton. “... We ask lots and lots of questions.”
The questions let dispatchers and emergency personnel know what the problem is, who needs to respond, what equipment will be needed and other important information that will help them resolve the problem as quickly and as well as possible.
The complex set of questions, developed by medical professionals, lets dispatchers rank a sick call according to its severity and allows emergency medical technicians to be better prepared when they arrive at the scene.
The dispatchers also told youngsters what would happen if they accidentally dial 911. The caller’s address will pop up and officers will be sent out to make sure everything is okay, even if the child says the call is an accident.
The dispatchers have presented programs at a number of schools, senior centers, and service club meetings, and are available for other engagements as needed.
It is an opportunity, Newton said, “to talk to people and show why we have to ask these questions.”
The dispatchers had materials to hand out to the crowd, as did other agencies that attended.
Police officer Matt Kelley dealt out a steady supply of badge decals to the crowd of youngsters around him, while others climbed inside his patrol car and basked in the excitement.
Red plastic firefighter hats, coloring books and educational booklets were popular items among the kids, as was the array of fire department vehicles that had been brought to the fairgrounds for the event.
The Lyon County Sheriff’s Department brought in its crime scene and special response van for the public to tour.
Firefighters swiveled and dipped a fire truck’s extension ladder to show the crowd the ladder’s maneuverability, and children delighted in ringing the bell on one of the trucks.
It was a hands-on show for children and adults alike, being entertained and fed as they became more aware of safety and fire prevention.
The fire prevention event has burgeoned since Battalion Chief Rex Fisher organized the first one in 2005, Fire Marshal Tom Andrews said.
Andrews and the rest of the firefighters were emphasizing preventing fires in the home as this year’s theme.
“A lot of people that die in a fire don’t die from the fire, they die because they stood up in the smoke,” Andrews said. “You only last about a second or two ... about as long as it takes to breathe in a lung full of smoke.”
Firefighters visited every school in Emporia this week to hold fire drills and to talk to the kids about how to prevent fires and how to handle themselves if a fire should happen.
“There were some kids at the school that wore their (firefighter) costumes, and that was pretty neat to see,” he said.
But the firefighters were at the schools to talk about serious business. They told students to stay low, under the smoke, and to check doors with the backs of their hands before trying to get out of a room, among other safety instructions.
“We put on our fire gear and show them what we look like and tell them not to be scared of us,” Andrews said.
They also asked the kids to talk to their parents about having smoke detectors in their homes and replacing batteries in existing detectors. This year, four people in Lyon County have died in house fires.
“Right now, the cause of fires in residential homes is cooking, and specifically unattended cooking,” he said. “We like to stress to people that if they’re cooking, never leave it unattended.”
Too often, fires erupt when people become distracted from the task and leave the area to watch TV or take care of other chores.
“You know how time goes by,” he said, adding to the list of distractions. “They’ll sit down and fall asleep, especially late at night. Or they’ll cook under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”
Andrews also cautioned people to keep an eye on other potential sources of fire.
“Anything that gets hot that comes in contact with a combustible can start a fire,” he said. Curling irons, space heaters and toasters are common offenders, in addition to worn-out electrical cords and candles.
And, he said, children and elderly people are most at-risk during fires. To help educate people about fire safety, the department will schedule programs for any group that requests a presentation. Individuals and families, too, can be part of the department’s education program.
Andrews said that people can stop at the fire stations any time for a tour.
“If parents want a little outing and take their kids to the fire station, they don’t need to make an appointment, just stop by,” Andrews said.
Local businesses donated products and services for Wednesday’s event, including 800 hot dogs from Walmart, buns from J’s Carry Out, a grill and popcorn machine from Waters True Value, cakes from Dolly Madison, beverages and cookies from McDonald’s, 2810 W. 18th Ave.
Agencies involved in the event, in addition to local public safety agencies, were Newman Hospital, Midwest LifeTeam, Kansas Fire Marshal, Kansas Highway Patrol, Lyon County Fire District No. 2, Americus Fire Department, Williams Automotive, KVOE, and the Emporia High Spartan Education Theatre.
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Posted by madpoet (anonymous) on October 10, 2008 at 3:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They did an excellent job. My 3 year old son had a blast climbing in all the vehicles. Deputy Doudican even got his dog out so we could see him. I think it's a great idea to show little kids that the emergency personnel are there to help and not to be afraid of them. I saw one little boy go up to Officer Kelley and give him a hug. Since he didn't greet the boy by name, I don't think he knew the little guy but was just being hero worshipped. It was great. I liked the seat belt sled the KHP had set up to show older kids and adults why they should wear seat belts. And the ambulance crew were careful to explain to the kids what would happen if you had to go in an ambulance so it wouldn't be so scary. Even just getting up to look around inside should help the littlest kids if they ever find themselves in that situation. Overall I give them an A+! I am glad we went.
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