We had 70 homeschoolers meet in the park for fun playtime and learning adventures today.  



Take Action Tuesday hosted a Fire Safety Workshop today with the Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue Department.



Chief Gary Brown explained lots of stuff about emergencies, fires, and fire safety to the kids.



Some of the things he shared with us today:

Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue

Is the biggest and busiest local fire department in Henderson County.
Average of 2,000 emergency calls a year.
Busiest day was 17 calls in one day.
Have had firemen with injuries over the years, but no fatalities for the fire fighters
in their fire station. 
The Chief has a tough job deciding when to send fire fighters into a rescue situation, or if it is too dangerous, or if no one is expected to be alive, wait and send the fire fighters in to a recovery situation.
Fire department is called to all wrecks and uses the “Jaws Of Life” to cut people out of bad wrecks where they are trapped.  They call for a helicopter ambulance to life line the injured to the hospital after using the jaws of life to get them out.  It takes about 25 minutes to rescue using the jaws of life, and 8 minutes to life line them to the hospital.  Most folks only have a window of less than one hour to get serious emergency medical help to live following a serious accident (called the GOLDEN HOUR), so using a helicopter helps them make it through the small window of time, and increases the number of people who survive.


Some of the other things firemen do:

Search for lost people, including the elderly and children who have wandered off.
Rescue pets
Fire Prevention Programs in schools and homeowners associations.
Tip: If you get lost, “HUG A TREE”.  That means if you get lost, stay in one place so the search team can find you.


Fire Safety:

Don’t play with matches or lighters.
Don’t play near the kitchen stove.
Call 911 if there is a fire.
Practice a Family Emergency and Fire Plan
Do not go under a bed or into a closet if there is a fire.
If there is smoke, crawl on the ground to a door so you don’t breath in the smoke in the room.
Always feel a door before opening it.  If it is hot, do not open it and go out a window instead.
Establish a meeting place outside for everyone to meet at if the house is on fire.
Don’t go back in a burning building for anything!
If you catch on fire, STOP, DROP, and ROLL.
Be sure your home has working smoke detectors.
A house can burn from 1,200 degrees to 4,000 degrees fahrenheit.
Firemen wear an alarm on their uniform, and it goes off if the fireman has not moved for 10 seconds. This helps other firemen find them in the smoke.



He gave the kids and parents lots of time to ask questions.  Then he took the families out to his truck.



He explained the tools, equipment, and gear on the fire truck, etc.



He demonstrated how the fire fighters put on their uniforms, and their oxygen tanks so they can breath, despite the smoke and fire in a building.



A fireman has to wear a lot of protective, and useful gear to fight the fire and rescue people trapped inside the burning building.



He explained the different gear and tools stored on the truck and how they are used to fight the fire or rescue someone in a dangerous situation such as in a car wreck. 

One amazing fact about this fire truck is that it stores 700 gallons of water and also has a pump to get water from other trucks that specifically carry water.  (I believe I heard him say the truck can pump 2,000 gallons of water a minute if needed, but they don’t usually turn the pressure that high as it can injure a fireman to try to control the hose at such high pressure.)



He opened the truck for kids to see where the firemen sit.  This truck transports 4 firemen and all their gear, plus lots of hoses and tools and equipment needed by additional firemen on the scene.  Many of the items are needed by volunteer fire fighters who also get the emergency call, and rush out to the scene in their own cars or trucks to help.



Next, he let the kids climb up and see the inside.



Learning by doing is what really makes a difference for kids in their understanding and what they remember. 



I just love it when the kids get the opportunity to touch what they are learning about, and try things out.



Two emergencies came over the radio and Chief Brown had to pack up and go to help.    He explained the emergencies to the kids as they came over the radio.  One was a car wreck, and one was a child poisoning.  The child was in the home and got into adult medications and this poisoned his body and he needed emergency medical help.  So off he went to assist his team.   He sounded his siren as he drove his truck out of the parking lot.



Chief Brown brought boxes full of goodies for the families to take home t
o further the childrens learning. 



Each of the children received a coloring book, a pencil case (filled with pencil, eraser, notepad, ruler, sticker, and a bookmark), a fire fighter hat, and some fire safety brochures.



In addition to a great workshop, the kids had plenty of playtime in the park with their friends.



This just brings such a smile to my face.  I enjoy watching the children play and visit together.



Moms got lots of support, and time to visit together too.



Some families packed a picnic lunch, others headed home for lunch.



It was a beautiful fall day.



Chief Brown has agreed to come again and bring a Fire House Trailer for further learning.  In the Fire Trailer kids will learn hands on fire safety with a fireplace, outlets, kitchen stove, bedroom, smoke detectors, and a room full of smoke to practice getting low to the ground and feeling their way to safety.

A Special Thank You to Chief Brown and the Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue Department for sharing your knowledge and time with us today.



This post will be linked up with
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