PRESIDIO OF MONTEREY, Calif. (July 29, 2022) — Members of the Presidio of Monterey Fire Department trained 45 Cub Scouts in fire safety at an annual day camp next to the installation July 27.
“They’re never too young for us to start a proper fire safety education,” said PoM Fire Prevention Chief Cory Prough.
The partnership between the PoM Fire Department and the Cub Scouts is a long-standing tradition that goes back decades. This year firefighters showed the scouts, ages six to 10, the interior of a real fire truck, how to use a fire extinguisher and what a fully suited up firefighter looks and sounds like.
Firefighter Steven Cortez, for example, explained that a fire truck is essentially “a toolbox on wheels” that includes everything from bolt cutters and axes to extra nozzles for hoses. The Cub Scouts also got to climb in the front and back seats of the fire truck’s cab and see what it looks like from the driver’s seat.
Firefighter Erik Silvas, meanwhile, put on a complete firefighter’s suit and allowed the children to touch the suit and hear what he sounded like with his mask on. Not only was the exercise interesting and fun for the Scouts, it also taught them not to fear firefighters — who can sometimes seem scary during a fire.
All members of each Cub Scout den thanked the firefighters after each presentation, and camp organizers said they were grateful for the training as well.
Henry Leinen, a camp official and district commissioner of the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, said he attended the same day camp as a Cub Scout 60 years ago and still remembers the fire safety training the PoM Fire Department provided.
“We’re very happy to have them here,” Leinen said of this year’s training. “Kids and fire trucks seem to go together, and it’s another step towards learning about fire safety.”
Likewise, Marcell Vargas, program director and director of the Silicon Valley Monterey Bay Council, Boy Scouts of America, said the fire-safety training was an important component of the Cub Scouts’ overall training about safety.
“The bottom line is we want them to be safe all the time,” Vargas said. The Scouts also learned about knife safety, gun safety and first aid during the five-day camp.
In addition, Tracy Shelby, a parent, volunteer and den leader, said she appreciated the chance for the Cub Scouts to see firetrucks up close and learn about fire safety from firefighters themselves.
“It’s important for them to see the firefighters here and their equipment, so if they’re ever in a situation where they see firefighters, they know what’s going on and know how to stay safe,” Shelby said.
Prough said the department is always eager to get its message out to the community, and firefighters welcomed the opportunity to train the Cub Scouts.
Organizations interested in receiving fire safety training can contact the department at (831) 242-7544 or (831) 242-4488.
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