Gladbrook-Reinbeck preschoolers at Crayon Corner Learning Center in Gladbrook smile big for the camera while standing alongside a Gladbrook Fire & Rescue truck last week during Fire Prevention Week. Members of Gladbrook Fire visited both Crayon Corner and GMG Elementary in Green Mountain as part of the annual fire safety awareness week. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLADBROOK-REINBECK COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT/FACEBOOK

Every year during the second week of October, fire departments across the U.S. and Canada celebrate Fire Prevention Week. This year as part of the annual event, Gladbrook Fire & Rescue visited both Gladbrook-Reinbeck’s Crayon Corner Learning Center preschool classes in Gladbrook and GMG Elementary classes in Green Mountain – which no longer has a volunteer fire department – to teach home fire safety awareness.

“It’s important to engage youth, especially the youngest ones,” Gladbrook Fire training officer Craig Sash told the newspaper. “They can see us in our normal street clothes and [then] watch us put on turnout gear and SCBA [self-contained breathing apparatus]. All that can be frightening to kids so making them aware and realize that there is a person there to help underneath all that hopefully makes a situation less frightening.”

While at GMG Elementary this year, firefighters tailored their visits by grade, Sash said.

In the kindergarten and first grade classrooms, they dressed in gear and discussed general fire safety as well as stop-drop-and-roll.

In the second grade rooms, they discussed alterate escape routes and how to evacuate through a window.

Students at GMG Elementary in Green Mountain try on firefighter gear with the assistance of members of Gladbrook Fire & Rescue as part of the annual Fire Prevention Week. PHOTO COURTESY OF GMG COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT/FACEBOOK

While visiting with third graders, students formed teams and competed in a fire gear relay.

In fourth grade, firefighters discussed bus safety in the event of a fire or accident including how to evacuate through the emergency exits.

Fifth graders were treated to a fun water hose relay, while sixth gvraders went through fire extinguisher training outside by putting out a live fire.

“[Our visits also] get them excited,” Sash continued. “Hopefully it encourages them in later years to volunteer and help out. … I’d say firefighters look forward to it as much as the kids do.”

Sash ended his comments by recalling a note he received after the very first Fire Prevention Week visit Gladbrook Fire made to Green Mountain.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GLADBROOK-REINBECK COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT/FACEBOOK

“One of the thank you cards we got was from a child that told their parents what happened at school that day. [The card] said the next day they went out and bought smoke detectors because they didn’t have any in their house. That is worth it right there.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF GLADBROOK-REINBECK COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT/FACEBOOK