Students meet the firefighters

By Christy Porter, Managing Editor

Members of the Licking City/Rural Fire Department visited Licking Elementary last Thursday, arriving in City Fire Truck 2751 and the new red Brush Truck 2773.

Lt. Bobby Hearty explained the chain of command to the children and why it was so important in a crisis situation. He continued by explaining what they could do to help firefighters and emergency personnel if they personally were ever present at an emergency scene.

Firefighter Josh Sonsoucie, with the assistance of firefighters David Potts and John Bryant to expedite the process, donned firefighter equipment, allowing the children to see what a firefighter might look like if ever coming into their home to rescue and fight a fire.

Hearty next emphasized that if they could not exit the home, they should always go to a corner of the room or under a window, as those are the first places a firefighter goes to rescue a person. Families should always have a meeting place where everyone can assemble if they can exit the home. This helps account for everyone and to know if someone is missing.

He told the students that in the event of a fire, the first and most important question firefighters would ask is, “Is everybody out of the house?”

“You’re special, there is no other you,” he emphasized. “Your safety is our priority.”

All the firefighters present, including Capt. Larry Potts, answered the many questions and allowed the students to see the fire truck and the equipment.

They reminded the students to Stop, Drop and Roll; Never carry anything with you if leaving a burning building; and if the room fills with smoke, don’t open a window; instead they should crawl on the floor to a corner of the room or under a window.

The students asked a lot of good questions and the firefighters addressed each one.

Photos by Christy Porter