Children learn fire safety lessons during event
Hosting their first Read to Kids day, Oklahoma City firefighters on Tuesday showed children the basics of how a fire department works and educated them on fire safety.
“I love the fire trucks. I want to ride in one someday,” said Benny McCain, 5, from Oklahoma City, who is a fervent fan of firefighters and wants to be one when he grows up.
More than 100 people showed up for the event, held at Station 30 near Lake Hefner.
“We consider ourselves a part of the community ... we wanted to invite people over to our house today,” said Benny Fulkerson, a district fire chief. “It truly helps us to help them.”
Little ones dressed up in fire chief and firefighter costumes. Some were hoisted by the ladder truck and others sprayed a fire hose.
Benny proclaimed, “This is awesome,” when he got his chance at the hose.
Oklahoma City fire recruit Dzung Pruong asked the young people questions about fire safety and read them a story.
Fulkerson later pretended to be a 911 operator and asked questions typically posed during emergency calls.
“We want kids to know not to be scared of us,” Fulkerson said. “They don’t realize that statistically kids do hide in closets and under beds. We do not want that to happen.”
Stressing the need for children to have smoke alarms and to prepare a plan for the household, Antonio Carbajal, captain for public education, urged the young people to make sure their homes had smoke alarms and to prepare fire contingency plans.
Sparky, the Oklahoma City Fire Department’s mascot, showed up and gave kids high-fives.
“This is the first year we are doing something like this and we are trying to create more awareness,” said Jacob Driscoll, a corporal at Station 30.
“One thing we want to stress as a fire department is if we involve the kids, then they will also inform their parents.”