Kindergarten's Field Trip to Fire Zone
by Elizabeth Tobin
This week Kindergarten North and South made their annual trip to the FDNY’s Fire Zone to learn about fire safety, what to do, and what not to do, in case of a fire. They met Fireman Ned, who is an educationalist in addition to being an active firefighter. He told them about a firehouse’s response after someone calls 9-1-1. Then he took them to a room that looked like it had been through a fire. It was even furnished with objects from real house fires, including a burned-out chair.
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This week Kindergarten North and South made their annual trip to the FDNY’s Fire Zone to learn about fire safety, what to do, and what not to do, in case of a fire. They met Fireman Ned, who is an educationalist in addition to being an active firefighter. He told them about a firehouse’s response after someone calls 9-1-1. Then he took them to a room that looked like it had been through a fire. It was even furnished with objects from real house fires, including a burned-out chair.
While the setting was daunting, Fireman Ned taught the boys some easy jingles to remember in case they ever found themselves in a fire situation, such as: “Don’t hide! Go outside!”; “Never play with fire; fire is not a toy”; and “Get low, and go!” These jingles serve to remind them that even though they might be scared of fire, the blame for causing it, or firefighters in all of their gear, that it’s not a good idea to hide under a bed, in a closet, or anywhere in the house.
He taught the boys that if they encountered smoke, they should stay low to the ground to avoid inhaling it. Most importantly, to the adults and the boys in the room, Fireman Ned stressed how vital it is to have a family meeting to make a fire escape plan, so if there were a fire at home, the boys would know what to do, and the family is as prepared as possible. Fireman Ned ended his lesson with having the boys practice crawling low to the ground. And then the real fun began--the boys were able to play on a fire truck and try on firemen jackets. Thank you to the entire team at Fire Zone and the FDNY for such a great learning experience!
