Officials stress fire safety, education
The month of October typically signifies the beginning of cooler temperatures in Franklin County, which often means an increase in fires as residents start using fireplaces and heaters to stay warm.
To make sure local residents stay safe this winter and keep fire safety in mind, the Russellville Fire Department is making a point to stretch the National Fire Prevention Week, observed this week, into a month-long awareness campaign for students across the county.
On Thursday, members of the RFD and the Alabama Forestry Commission brought the county’s fire safety house to West Elementary to show children first-hand what fire hazards look like and to teach them what to do in the event of a fire.
“When we go to talk to a young group like that, we really try to push the importance of what to do when a smoke detector goes off,” Mansell said. “Inside the fire house we have different hazards such as an extension cord under a rug, cigarette lighters, a fire place and an oven. We’re able to show these things to the kids in a safe environment so they’ll know to spot safety hazards in their own homes and tell their parents to remove them.”
Russellville Fire Marshal Steve Thornton said the fire safety house provides the students with a unique experience they wouldn’t be able to receive elsewhere.
“The fire safety house has the ability to fill up with smoke and the door in the bedroom will get warm to the touch,” Thornton said. “By taking the kids through the house, they can experience what it feels like to be in a room full of smoke and know that a fire could be on the other side of the door.
“We’ll show them what to do to be safe and to get out of the room safely and hopefully this knowledge will save lives if they are ever actually involved in a real fire.”
While at the school, firefighters also demonstrated several pieces of equipment used in fighting fires and showed the students what they look like in their gear.
“Our guys look and sound a lot different when they have all their gear on,” Mansell said, “so we want the kids to be used to that so they’re not scared of us if we ever come to help them.”
Once students had the opportunity to go through the fire safety house and to see the firefighters’ equipment, they listened to a fire prevention program taught by Russellville firefighters and Neal Taylor, a forestry specialist with the AFC.
“We partner with the Forestry Commission to make sure the kids understand that fire prevention doesn’t just pertain to your home,” Thornton said. “Neal told the kids about the importance of not playing with matches outside and to put out your camp fires if you go camping.”
The students also received some encouragement to be safe from Smoky the Bear and Sparky the Fire Dog.
“We want the program to be fun, but ultimately we want the kids to take some knowledge away from this,” Mansell said. “We give them all a badge a the end of the program and we hope that encourages them to be more aware of their surroundings and to keep fire safety in mind.”
For the rest of the month of October, the RFD and AFC will be going to schools throughout the county, partnering with other local fire departments, and teaching classes at local businesses in an effort to keep residents safe.
The RFD is also promoting their smoke detector program in an effort to make sure every home inside the Russellville city limits has a working smoke detector.
For more information about this program, call 256-332-8761.
