MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Several Fire trucks filled the parking lot behind Pleasant Valley Elementary School in Polk Township on Tuesday, but there was no emergency.
Instead, students were learning an important lesson outside the classroom about fire safety.
"If there wasn't any firefighters, then you wouldn't be alive, and if there were firefighters, you would be alive," said first grader Kennedy Zaengle.
Monday kicked off Fire Prevention Week.
The West End Fire Company and Polk Township Volunteer Fire Company visited the school to teach students about what to do if there is a fire inside their home.
Polk Township Lt. Mike Sabo shared several other important tips on what kids should know.
"Some of the kids don't know their addresses here, so kind of going over the address. That way, if they do need to call 911, they know exactly where first responders can go for the address. So, knowing the address, we're going over what number to call. So 911 and then some of the kids don't know evacuation plans—where to meet in the yards. So, we're saying, 'Hey, make sure you have a designated area to meet your parents in case you get out before them,'" Sabo said.
Students rotated through a couple of different stations, learning a new safety skill at each.
Sabo was in charge of the smoke house. He says this example puts students into a real-life situation of what it would be like to navigate through a smoke-filled home.
"Some say, 'Hey, this is fun.' But we try to let them know, like, crawling through this, it's not supposed to be fun. So you stay low. That way, the visibility is lower, and since smoke rises, if you stay low, you might be able to see. That way, you can find your nearest exit," Sabo said.
But the fire safety lesson was cut short. During the program, both fire companies were called to respond to a fire, teaching these students yet another lesson: that a fire can happen at any moment.
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