Fort Riley Post – October 18, 2013
Jason Demars, firefighter, FRFES, right, helps D.J. Walker, 6, left, into a uniform during a Fire Prevention Week event Oct. 7 at Forsyth Community Center. The fire department partnered with Corvias Military Living to host events at community centers throughout Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 6 to 12. (Julie Fiedler | POST)
“Three minutes – that’s all it takes … Three minutes for a whole room to go up in flames.”
Scott Melcher, fire inspector and investigator, Fort Riley Fire and Emergency Services, Directorate of Emergency Services, told a rapt group of students about the devastating effects of fire during a Fire Prevention Week presentation Oct. 8 at Seitz Elementary School.
After showing a video about a Family who survived a fire, Melcher led the students in a discussion about the video, emphasizing crucial fire safety lessons, like stop, drop and roll; calling 911; not to play with matches and lighters; making a fire escape plan with two ways out of every room; feeling doors for heat before opening them; and crawling low when smoke is present.
It breaks his heart, Melcher said, to see children get hurt from fire.
“You little boys and girls can’t be replaced,” he told the students.
Melcher and other representatives from the fire department led presentations for all grade levels throughout the week, showing age-appropriate videos and leading question-and-answer discussions afterwards.
Firefighters had uniforms and gear to show students, who also received packs of crayons and coloring books with fire safety information to further emphasize the message of prevention.
The fire department also partnered with Corvias Military Living to host events at community centers throughout Fire Prevention Week, which was from Oct. 6 to 12.
“I like getting involved in the community,” said Tyler Belt, firefighter, FES, DES, who showed Family members around a fire truck parked outside of Forsyth community center Oct. 7.
“(My children are) always excited to hear sirens and see big, red, shiny trucks,” said Isabel Walker, veteran and military spouse, who brought her children out to the event.
As a nursing student, Walker said she was interested in exploring the vehicles as well because she is more familiar with the hospital side of emergency situations, than the first responder side.
“I thought it would be cool to see what kind of emergency equipment they carry,” she said. “(And, I) wanted to see where they keep their medical equipment.”
Inside the neighborhood center, activities were geared toward bringing home a safety message to parents, as well as children, according to Janine Harper, Family services program manager, Corvias Military Living.
“We’re really happy to host and partner with the community members to bring that to our residents,” she said.
This year marked the first time Corvias hosted the Fire Prevention Week events at the Fort Riley community centers, Harper said, and the response was very positive.
“We had a really great turnout. It’s phenomenal,” she said. “This is our first year doing it, so having this large turnout already (on the first evening) is always great to see. It is great to know we have been a part of something that impacted so many Families.”
The theme of this year’s Fire Prevention Week was “Prevent Kitchen Fires.”
The school presentations and the community events provided general safety tips, as well as more detailed information relating to the theme.
For more information about fire safety and Fire Prevention week, visit www.fpw.org.
By Julie Fiedler 1ST INF. DIV. POST
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