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Sylva firefighters set open house

Qualla Fire and Rescue teaches safety at SMES

By Rose Hooper
Qualla firefighter Robert Franz

Qualla firefighter Robert Franz shows second-graders at Smokey Mountain Elementary School how a fire truck works. The program was planned to coincide with Fire Prevention Week.

Sylva's volunteer firefighters will hold an open house this Saturday, Oct. 14, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Held each October in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, which is Oct. 8-14 this year, the annual event features helium-filled balloons, refreshments, kids' fire hats, coloring books and crayons and visits by Smokey Bear and Sparky the Fire Pup. Fire truck rides will not be available this year.

A Children's Fire Safety House, owned by the Asheville Fire Department, will be available to help children learn what to do in case of a fire in their home. Drawings will be held throughout the day with prizes for both kids (electronic games) and adults (smoke detectors and fire extinguishers).

"We do this every year to promote fire safety awareness in children and their parents," said Captain Harold Norman of the Sylva Fire Department. "It gives us an opportunity to show the kids a good time while they learn."

Pat Proffitt's second-graders

Pat Proffitt's second-graders were among the students at Smokey Mountain Elementary who practiced fire safety in a "smokehouse" brought over by Louis Garrison of the Asheville Fire Department. The educational program, planned in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, was organized by Qualla Fire and Rescue. From left are Proffitt, Whitney Brooks, Jed Griffin, Jessie Blanton, Atreyu Maney, Christian Shuler, James Grooms, Cory Wilson, Garrison, Angel Bradley, Alivia Jones and Daniel Evans. The Asheville firefighters' Children's Fire Safety House will be available this Saturday, Oct. 14, at the Sylva Fire Department's open house from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Qualla Fire and Rescue also staged an educational effort to coincide with the fall fire safety week. Firefighters took a truck to the K-8 school and demonstrated their equipment to the children. This year's program marked the third straight fall the Qualla department has visited the K-8 school.

Louis Garrison of the Asheville Fire Department brought the Children's Fire Safety House, or "smokehouse," to help the children learn more about fire safety. Set up to look like a kitchen, living room and bedroom, the smokehouse gives firefighters a chance to demonstrate ways to avoid fires while cooking, fireplace safety and the proper use of smoke detectors.

Children participate by pretending they're sleeping and an alarm sounds when fake smoke is generated, said Qualla firefighter Robert Franz. The children then must crawl downstairs and out the door to a prearranged outside meeting place, he said. Firefighters conducted the program for children in grades pre-K-2.

"It's very gratifying that the older kids definitely remember a lot of what they learned the year before and are getting good at answering fire safety questions," Franz said.

Statewide efforts at teaching students proper fire safety techniques will begin this month. During October, fourth-graders across North Carolina will learn an important lesson every family should know - how to escape a dwelling in the event of a fire. In recognition of Fire Prevention Week, public school fourth-grade students will receive planning grids to teach them how to plan an escape route. They will learn that you can reduce your risk of becoming a victim of fire by taking some simple precautions.

Using planning grids created by the National Fire Protection Association, which has sponsored Fire Prevention Week for more than seven decades, students will plot their homes and locate escape routes, exits and a central meeting place outside. Students are encouraged to share their plans with their families and to practice fire drills from their homes at least twice a year.

"We hope the children will take their escape grids home and display them in a visible place for the whole family, such as on the refrigerator," State Fire Marshal and Insurance Commissioner Jim Long said. "Parents should involve all family members, especially young children, when considering fire escape plans and practicing them. Young children often become frightened during a fire and hide rather than escaping.

"Make sure every family member knows what the escape plan is in case the unthinkable happens. Every room should have at least two viable exits, and everyone should understand what the options are for escape," Long said.

Just as important as having a fire escape plan is installing smoke detectors to warn the family of the presence of fire.

"Install a smoke alarm outside of every bedroom, and at least one on every level of the house," Long said. "Test these devices once a month and change the batteries twice a year. Keep your smoke detector in perfect working condition so they can give you the valuable time you need to get everyone to safety when a fire strikes."

The Department of Insurance, which houses the Office of State Fire Marshal, distributed the escape grids and other materials to every public school system in the state. Packets including the grids and fire prevention checklists were sent to more than 100,000 fourth graders, along with instructional materials for the teachers. This effort was made possible by a grant from the Independent Insurance Agents of North Carolina.

Items on the fire prevention checklist include the following suggestions:

  • Install smoke detectors on every level of the home, especially near bedrooms.
  • Test smoke detectors once a month; change batteries at least once a year.
  • Don't smoke in bed; use deep clean ashtrays; make sure ashes are completely extinguished before leaving home or going to bed.
  • Sleep with bedroom doors closed.
  • Prepare and practice a home escape plan with special provisions for small children and family members with special needs. Your plan should include two ways out of every room and a meeting place outside.
  • Remember to get out and stay out; never go back inside a burning building for any reason.
  • In the event of a fire, always check interior doors to make sure they're not hot before opening; stay low to the ground to avoid smoke; and stop, drop and roll if your clothing catches fire.
  • Teach children their street address, directions to the home and the number to call in the event of an emergency.
  • Post emergency phone numbers, street address and directions to the home near the telephone.
  • Keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen and know how to use it.
  • Never leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the kitchen, turn off the heat.
  • Place space heaters at least three feet from any flammable materials and never leave heaters unattended. Check electric heaters for frayed wiring and overheating.

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