Round Hill kicks off Fire Prevention Week with a visit from local firefighters

Local firefighters asked elementary students at Round Hill, “Who wants to be a firefighter when they grow up?” with students shouting out loud “me!” to kick off Fire Prevention Week on Monday morning.  

During their visit, firefighters from the Washingtonville Fire Department and South Blooming Grove Fire Department spoke to students about the importance of fire safety and having an emergency plan. 

Throughout the presentation, students learned about fire safety skills, the importance of creating a safety plan, different potential fire hazards, how to use a fire extinguisher, and what to expect when firefighters show up to an emergency.  

“I think one of the biggest takeaways is to not be scared,” said Victoria Bruschi, a first-grade teacher at Round Hill. “Especially at the first-grade level; they’re young, and they see these people coming at you with masks and it can be a little scary. They also learned the importance of having a safety plan, that is what we are going over right now in class. It is important to have those plans and practice them, especially at a young age.” 

Firefighters showed the students their gear and taught them the importance of wearing it to keep them safe. They demonstrated how they used different equipment before letting the students go inside the firetruck.  

“My favorite part was going in the fire truck,” said Brody Stinson, a first-grade student in Ms. Brushi’s class. “I learned that there are two layers to the fire coat.”  

While Ms. Brushi’s class was outside with the fire trucks, the South Blooming Grove Fire Department received a call and sprung into action, giving the students a first-hand experience of how quickly and swiftly they respond to emergencies.  

“We do this to help the kids learn fire safety,” said Milton Smith, Assistant Chief for the South Blooming Grove Fire Department. “Have pre-plans in their house to get out, check their smoke detectors and we just go over the foundations of what makes it a safer place for them with fire safety.”