by Koy Williams and Cheyenne Perry
On Monday, October 6, 2008, Gardner School had a fire drill. The fire alarm sounded like a really loud alarm clock. The 8th graders jumped out of their chairs and almost flew over their desks trying to get to the door. They power-walked out to the safety area by the school buses. While they stood there they talked and laughed (quietly) while they were waiting for the all clear signal.
After the students all returned to class, Volunteer Firefighters Ben Cupps, Buzz Deardorff, and the Fire Chief Brian Sharp visited all the classes to talk about fire safety. In Cathy Cordova′s first and second grade class, the students had to crawl under a big white sheet which was supposed to be smoke. They learned how to put their noses close to the ground to get fresh air and crawl out of a smoke filled room. They talked to the children about not being afraid of firefighters who look like Darth Vader when they are dressed in their fire suits.
The older students went back outside to see the fire truck. They learned about the equipment and how it is used by the firefighters. The ax is used to break down doors or punch holes in walls to save people. There is a special ladder with hooks that can be used to climb up roofs. The air tanks hold about 10 to 20 minutes of air, depending on how the firefighter breathes. The firefighters carry an alarm on their belts that can be activated if they run into trouble.
The Gardner Volunteer Fire Department is hoping to start a junior volunteer group for people between the ages of 14 and 18. They are still working on the details. Gardner School would like to thank the volunteer firefighters for coming to teach us about fire safety. We appreciate what you do for the community.
