Bolingbrook Firefighters Talk Fire Safety with Ward Students

Summer Learning Experience students at B.J. Ward Elementary School learned about fire safety Friday, courtesy of the Bolingbrook Fire Department.

Firefighter/Paramedic David Proffitt focused on smoke detectors in homes and fire alarms in schools.

“When the fire alarm goes off in school stay calm, slow down and listen to your teachers. They will get you out safely because they know what to do,” he said. “Once you’re outside, stay there until the fire department tells you it’s OK to go back inside.”

Meanwhile, he said, if you’re in your home and a smoke detector goes off, “your only job is to get outside.”

Proffitt urged students to ask their parents to test their home smoke detectors to not only make sure the batteries are working but also to give the youngsters an opportunity to hear what it sounds like.

He also suggested that each family plan an escape route in case of a fire.

• If you sleep with your bedroom door closed and an alarm sounds, feel the door for heat before you open it.
• If there is smoke in the room or the hallway, get low and go.
• Don’t stop to take anything with you when you evacuate, not even pets.
• If you’re on the second floor, don’t jump out of the window. Open it and yell for help.
• Never play with matches.
• If your clothing catches fire, stop, drop and roll.

Proffitt, Engineer Jeff Matthias and Firefighter Craig Randich passed out coloring books to the students before taking them outside to view a Bolingbrook fire truck.