U.S. Army Garrison - Detroit Arsenal, Mich. -- The Detroit Arsenal Fire Department showed their support Oct. 8 thru 12 for National Fire Prevention Week with literature tables, fire drills and a mobile safety house for the children in the Child Development Center to explore.
The city of Center Line, Mich. provided a Mobile Fire Safety House that teaches children about fire prevention, detection and evacuation using hands-on methods. The house features child-size rooms, and real-life hazards like smoke and heat. This exercise equips children with the skills to prevent fires and to respond properly should a fire occur in their homes.
Smoky vapor filled a room so the children could practice crawling on the floor. A door in a bedroom radiated heat to teach them not to touch it and to escape through a window instead. The children practiced dialing 911 on a phone that connected to an operator elsewhere in the house. This way the children became familiar with speaking to an emergency operator.
The fire department also passed out literature, toy hats and other trinkets in the main hallways for parents to share with their children. Following the theme for this year's Fire Prevention Week of "Have 2 Ways Out," Arsenal firemen spoke with employees encouraging them to make two escape plans with their family.
"Make sure you practice your escape plan with your little ones," stated fireman Matt Scibilia. "Practicing the plan helps them remember what to do. Also remember to change your smoke alarm batteries with the time change on Nov. 4."
with planning two ways out with your family, employees at the Arsenal need a reminder that they are to evacuate buildings to their designated evacuation point when an alarm sounds. During the fire prevention week fire drills, a number of employees chose to stand in adjoining buildings to avoid going outside. When that happens, supervisors do not know where their employees are and may report them as missing to the fire department. During an actual emergency, this behavior puts the firemen at risk looking for the missing employee in the affected building.
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